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The name of Ptolemy in Egyptian hieroglyphics and classical Greek (Ptolemaios = Πτολεμαῖος).

Rosetta Stone was commissioned by Ptolemy V (Epiphanes = Πτολεμαῖος Ἐπιφανής) in 196 BCE. Jean-François Champollion solved the Egyptian mystery in 1822, as eloquently explained in Carl Sagan's book Cosmos and PBS television series.

The hieroglyphic solution involved the discovery that a cartouche spelling out Ptolemy's name phonetically had symbols in common with Cleopatra's cartouche on an obelisk from Philae erected by Ptolemy IX (Lathyros = Πτολεμαῖος Σωτήρ Λάθυρος).

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Uploaded on March 9, 2009