Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt

royal names 347

ropes Essential tools and elements in Egyptian life,
termed cordage in some instances, strings, twine, cable,
or ropes were fashioned by twisting or braiding fibers
into a line that could be tied or used to bear weights or
stresses. Most Egyptian ropes were S-twisted to the right.
Three S-twitched strands formed a Z-twisted cord. They
were made from the papyrus plant (Cyperus papyrus),
halfa grass (Desmostachya bipinnata), the dom palm
(Hyphaene thebaica),and the date palm (Phoenix dactilif-
era),along with others. The halfa grass was most com-
mon. These ropes were used in the construction of the
spirit boat discovered in the pyramid pits of KHUFU
(Cheops; r. 2551–2528 B.C.E.). The Egyptians were mas-
ters at rope making.

Roset This was a site near ABYDOSin Upper Egypt
deemed a holy place by Egyptians. Cliffs were prominent
in the territory, and at Roset there is a cave that was con-
sidered to be one of the entrances to the TUAT, the land
beyond the grave. The proximity of Roset to ABYDOS, the
city of the god OSIRIS, may have caused the spiritual des-
ignation.

Rosetta Stone This is a portion of a large black basalt
stone STELA, measuring three feet, nine inches by two feet
and a half inch. The stone is inscribed with 14 lines of
hieroglyphs, 32 lines of demotic script, and 54 lines of
Greek. It was discovered by a French artillery officer, Lt.
P. F. X. Bouchard, a member of Napoleon I’s forces, in the
ruined Fort Julien at Rosetta. This town of Rosetta
(Rashid) was in the northern region of the Delta on the
western channel of the Nile. The inscriptions discovered
on the Rosetta Stone were originally created by the
priests of MEMPHISin the reign of PTOLEMY V EPIPHANES
(205–180 B.C.E.), commemorating the ruler’s accession
and patronage.
When the French surrendered Egypt in the Alexan-
drian Treaty of 1801, the stone passed to the British
under Article 16. Work began on deciphering the ancient
hieroglyphs, following the efforts of several scholars in
previous historical periods. The Jesuit Athanasius Kircher
(1602–1680 C.E.) made contributions in deciphering.
Abbé Jean-Jacques Barthélemy identified some cartouches
of the ancient pharaohs in 1761.
In 1822, Jean-François Champollion of France and
Thomas Young of England started the last phases of deci-
pherment of the Rosetta Stone. Young, recognizing the
cartouche form, decided that the names of Ptolemy and
Cleopatra could be written in symbols with phonetic val-
ues that would correspond to their names in Greek. He
managed to assign accurately the correct values to six
signs with partially correct values for three more. Young
also recognized the direction in which the texts should be
read by ascertaining the direction in which birds in the
inscriptions were facing.

In 1821, Champollion took up the task and pub-

lished memoirs on the decipherment of both the hiero-

glyphs and the hieratic form of the Egyptian language. He

recognized that some signs were alphabetical, some syl-

labic, and some determinative. Realizing the link between

modern Coptic and ancient Egyptian, he mastered Cop-

tic. He also established the fact that the Egyptian inscrip-

tions were a translation from the Greek. His work

inspired many Egyptologists.

Roy (1)(fl. 15th century B.C.E.)Financial official of the

Eighteenth Dynasty

He served TUTHMOSIS III(r. 1479–1425 B.C.E.) as chief

treasurer. An inscription cut into the rocks of SERABIT EL-

KHADIM, dating to Tuthmosis III’s 25th regnal year,

depicts the pharaoh making a libation to HATHORwith

Roy attending him. An inscription of eight lines praises

Tuthmosis III, and another eight lines of hieroglyphs

depict Roy as having been appointed a commander of the

army sent to bring back malachite stone. There is a refer-

ence to “the sea,” indicating the Mediterranean or Red

Sea.

See also EGYPTIAN NATURAL RESOURCES.

Roy (2)(fl. 13th century B.C.E.)Temple official of the

Nineteenth Dynasty

He served MERENPTAH(r. 1224–1214 B.C.E.) as the high

priest of AMUN. The title became hereditary during Roy’s

tenure. He had inherited the office from BAKENKHONSU,

and both apparently were members of the AMENEMOPET

clan.

royal cults They resulted from the DEIFICATIONof the

pharaohs of Egypt, as well as courtiers and certain

queens, during their reigns or after their burials. Such

deified individuals were considered intermediaries

between the world of humans and the gods. AMENHOTEP I

(r. 1525–1504 B.C.E.), for example, and his mother,

’AHMOSE-NEFERTARI, were deified and honored with

shrines and temples.

The royal cults were particularly important when

associated with mortuary complexes of deceased rulers,

many remaining active for centuries after their institu-

tion. Such cults were centered at PYRAMIDSor tomb sites

and were maintained by vast retinues. At times small

cities were erected to house the priests and workers

involved in the ongoing ceremonies and celebra-

tions. The Ptolemaic Period (304–30 B.C.E.) continued

the practice.

Royal List See KING LISTS.

royal names They were the titles employed by the

rulers of Egypt from the earliest eras, containing magical