Decree of Canopus
| Decree of Canopus | |
|---|---|
| Material | Granodiorite |
| Size | 7 feet 4 inches in height |
| Writing | Egyptian hieroglyphs, demotic, and Koine Greek script |
| Created | 238 BC |
| Discovered | 1866 Tanis, Egypt |
| Discovered by | Karl Richard Lepsius |
| Present location | Egyptian Museum, Cairo, Egypt |
The Decree of Canopus is a trilingual inscription in three scripts, which dates from the Ptolemaic period of ancient Egypt. It was written in three writing systems: Egyptian hieroglyphs, demotic, and koine Greek, on several ancient Egyptian memorial stones, or steles. The inscription is a record of a great assembly of priests held at Canopus, Egypt, on 7 Appellaios (Mac.) = 17 Tybi (Eg.) year 9 of Ptolemy III = Thursday 7 March 238 BC (proleptic Julian calendar). Their decree honoured Pharaoh Ptolemy III Euergetes; Queen Berenice, his wife; and Princess Berenice.