Heliopolis (ancient Egypt) from him the true length of the year and month, upon which he formed his octaeterid, or period of 8 years or 99 months. Ptolemy II had Manetho, the chief priest of Heliopolis, collect his history of the ancient kings of Egypt from its archives. The later Ptolemies probably took little interest in their "father" Ra, and Alexandria had eclipsed the learning of Heliopolis; thus with the withdrawal of royal favour Heliopolis quickly dwindled, and the students of native lore deserted it for other temples supported by a wealthy population of pious citizens. By the 1st century BC, in fact,
Cup of the Ptolemies this vessel for you, Christ, with a [faithful] mind." Most scholars agree that this inscription links it to Charles the Bald, who ruled Western Francia from AD 84077. Others think it refers to either the Charlemagne who ruled Francia from AD 768–814, or Charles the Simple who also ruled Western Francia from AD 919–23, although these suggestions seem unlikely. Cup of the Ptolemies The Cup of the Ptolemies (French: Coupe des Ptolémées), also known as the Cup of Saint Denis, is an onyx cameo two-handled cup, or "kantharos". The cup, decorated with Dionysiac vignettes and emblems, was carved at some