Decree of Canopus
The Canopus Decree is the name of a written in Greek and demotic language decision of a priest Synod in the year 238 BC, the 9th year of the reign of the pharaoh Ptolemy III. , The purpose of honoring the year 237 BC by Ptolemy III. and his wife Berenice II was initiated on the day of the heliacal rising of Sirius.
The Canopus Decree was also in connection with the New Year celebrations to the Goddess Bastet and the four -yearly addition of a sixth day of the season Heriu - renpet. With this addition as a leap day also the shift of the seasons in the Egyptian calendar management should be prevented.
- 3.1 throne and Decree - year
- 3.2 After the reform of the calendar
Fund history
Already on April 15, 1866 Richard Lepsius found the explanations of the decree on a completely preserved limestone telephoto in Tanis. 1881 was discovered a first copy in Kom el - Hisn by Gaston Maspero. In the following years, only small or poorly preserved fragments were added from other excavations in different places.
During the 18th season of excavations of the German -Egyptian Tell Basta Project in Bubastis was found on 16 March 2004 in the first courtyard of the Great Temple of the Goddess Bastet another copy of the Decree of Canopus -. The decree was drawn up for the population clearly visible location at the entrance of Bastet Temple. It was only a little away from the statues of Osorkon II and his wife Karoama. The new Fund is the largest new find a copy for over 100 years and is considered an important third source of supply in addition to the copies found by Lepsius and Maspero.
From the text runs the importance of the city of Bubastis is visible in the cult of the goddess Bastet celebrations were held, called next to the Min- hard, the Opet Festival and the flood of the Nile as the most important events on the Egyptian New Year's Day.
The Canopus Decree
Content
In the 8th year of King Ptolemy III. Euergetes met in Canopus, a port city in the western Nile Delta, a priest Synod. Previously had Ptolemy and his wife Berenike the country proved more good deeds, for example by Persian displaced images of the gods returned or omitted tax revenues during a drought and additional grain was imported from neighboring countries for the population. Therefore, the Synod passed the following resolution:
Insertion of a leap year
Controversial discussions triggered a passage in the Canopus Decree, after the " Sothis shifts every four years to a day in the calendar ." Ludwig Borchardt took an " imprecise language", which not only mentions a rare shift after three years. Eduard Meyer evaluated the statements in the decree, however, as evidence of an existing schematic Sothis calendar. Recalculations after Censorinus - finding that a Sothic cycle would be constant at 1460 years, seemed to support Meyer's statement.
The priest Assembly met yet in the 8th year of the reign of Ptolemy on whose birthday (October 28 ) together while the promulgation date was already in the 9th rule year. The decision could affect the year 237 BC after the heliacal rising of Sirius therefore the earliest. Referred to in the decree and every four years to insert leap had the express purpose of fixing the " Sothis - day " on the first Payni. The first Thoth fell 238 BC on the 18th of October. If a schematic Sothis calendar had been present, would have migrated to Sirius in 237 BC, but on the second Payni. A possible transfer of the decree - date to 239 BC can be excluded, as all Egyptian calendar only in 237 BC had the constellation described.
Against the existence of a schematic Sothis calendar spoke out among others Richard Anthony Parker, who refers to the astronomical records, the BC signal a rise of Sothis only for 236. Parker appreciated this fact as proof that Sothis sunrises were recorded by observation and, therefore, was an astronomical Sothic calendar in use.
Schematic lunar calendar
For the calculation of lunar cycles the Ptolemies a schematic data cycle was already based on the revealed that in 237 BC would enter a special calendar situation and allow the pooling of the festivities. For this reason, the introduction of an additional sixth Epagomenentages in the year 237 BC should block the usual shift of the cult festivals. The next joint agreement of the season would have resulted only in the next Sothis cycle.
Excerpts from the Canopus Decree
The decree
"Year 9, 7 Apellaios what is called" the 17th day of the first month of Peret season of Ptolemy III. " Son of Ptolemy II and Arsinoe I. designated. It is the adoption of Lenonis priesthood and the other priests and prophets, who of 5 Dios on which the birthday of Pharaoh is committed until 25 Dios, where he got transferred the royal office of his father, along came and said, the gods images that were taken away by the Persians out of Egypt, Ptolemy III has. retold from their countries and hand over the temples. As in the first years of his reign began only a low Nile flood, he renounced duties and let them out of Assyria, Phoenicia, Alassija and other countries get grain, so that the people of Egypt did not suffer from hunger. Ptolemy III. and Berenice II should be given a special and divine day of giving. "
Death of his daughter Berenice
" And after the King Ptolemy III. and the mistress of both countries, Berenice II, a daughter was born, which also received the name of Berenike and should follow proclaimed as the future queen, it happened that this goddess returned suddenly and unexpectedly in her virginal state to the sky. The priest, who came from the land of the king, remained one year in the house of his majesty, and arranged a great mourning directly to this event. They came to worship the King and Queen, to think seriously and to allow that this goddess is placed with the god Osiris in the temple of Phaqota. This is an important sanctuary among the temples of the first rank, as it is the most important temple and is honored by the king, and the inhabitants of the whole country alike. Access to the interior of the sacred bark in this temple by Osiris place here annually on 29th Choiak; on that day upon the inhabitants throughout burnt offerings on the altar of the temple of the first rank is, the left and right side of the dromos of the sanctuary. "
Feast for the deceased daughter Berenice
" And because the small Berenice died just as the meeting of priests in Canopus, should we set up this new goddess statue in the sanctuary of Canopus next to the image of Osiris. And since she died on the same day, once Hathor, daughter of Re, the difference in the life of what is celebrated in most temples of the country with processions, he shall be Berenike as this goddess on 17 Peret I with processions honor. "
The calendar of Ptolemy
Throne and Decree - year
The priests moved into the 17th Tybi in the Canopus Decree on " 17 Tybi of Ptolemy ", which is why March 3 can be excluded in the major Egyptian calendar. To top it off date is the " 25 Taken Dios " with respect to the Macedonian calendar, the month Dios marked the first month in the lunar year and usually falls on October / November.
In the year 238 BC the 25th Dios fell on the 17th of November and the 7th Apellaios on 30 November
After the reform of the calendar
After the reform of the calendar 238 BC the priesthood led 237 BC the usual insertion of the intercalary month Mesori II in civil lunar calendar, otherwise the first Thoth would have fallen in the main calendar before the Egyptian New Year.