Bonaparte’s Egyptian Campaign

In 1798 Bonaparte started his Egyptian campaign. He set sails to Egypt with 365 ships and more than 50 000 men, seamen, soldiers and civilians . Bonaparte envisioned not only a military stroke, but also saw this campaign as a scientific expedition. He thus brought with him astronomers, artists, architects, engineers and mathematicians who launched modern Egyptology - conducting the first comprehensive survey of Egypt's history, geography, art and traditions. Although the military quest ended in a fatal failure, the scientific exploration proved to be successful: In 1799 French scholars discovered the Rosetta Stone, a stone document by Egyptian priests with hieroglyphics, as well as a Greek translation. In 1822 a French scholar was able to translate the hieroglyphics -- the key to unlocking the secrets of ancient Egypt.