Biography Jörgen Zoega

on way home, zoëga heard in paris of political overthrow of patron guldberg. therefore returned rome , took permanent abode in city, man, said, should never see or else never leave. had before catalogued , exhaustively described borgia s fine collection of coins; prelate gave him strong support , pius vi granted him pension of 400 scudi. aid of influential friends zoëga received permanent assistance denmark, , in 1790 made honorary member of academy of art in copenhagen. when patron, cardinal borgia, exiled rome in 1798, zoëga, grateful cardinal s hospitality danes had gone rome, obtained pension borgia state revenues of denmark.

from 1798 zoëga danish consul @ rome , member of academy of sciences @ copenhagen. work in numismatics led him take egyptological , coptic studies, conducted success. power of penetration , sound judgment, pointed out later investigators path followed in interpreting hieroglyphics.

in work on rosetta stone, french scholar silvestre de sacy highlighted suggestion made georg zoëga in 1797 foreign names in egyptian hieroglyphic inscriptions might written phonetically. proved fruitful insight led decipherment.

zoega regarded associate of winckelmann , visconti in establishing scientific archaeology. services learning acknowledged in foreign countries election in 1806 membership in academies of science @ berlin , vienna. died in rome 3 years later.

zoega s important works are:

nummi aegyptii imperatorii (rome, 1787)
de origine et usu obeliscorum (rome, 1797)
bassorilievi antichi di roma (2 vols., rome, 1808), translated german friedrich gottlieb welcker (1811)
catalogus codicum copticorum manuscriptorum, qui in museo borgiano velitris adservantu (rome, 1810), posthumous work.

he wrote several treatises on classical archaeology, translated german welcker, georg zoegas abhandlungen (göttingen, 1817). work on topography of rome left unfinished in manuscript.

his brother botanist johan zoëga.

 this article incorporates text publication in public domain: herbermann, charles, ed. (1913). article name needed . catholic encyclopedia. new york: robert appleton.