Episode 1 of 3
The 'Je tiens l'affaire' Moment
- When
- 14 September 1822
- Where
- Visit to brother Jacques-Joseph
Champollion made a crucial breakthrough in understanding the phonetic nature of hieroglyphs, famously exclaiming 'I've got it!' before fainting.
On 14 September 1822, while visiting his brother Jacques-Joseph, Champollion realized the phonetic nature of hieroglyphs. He proclaimed 'Je tiens l'affaire!' and fainted from excitement. This realization preceded the formal announcement to the Académie and was based on comparing readings to new texts from Abu Simbel.
Sources
- Lettre à M. Dacier Wikipedia, revision of 2023-09-27
- Jean-François Champollion Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-02
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.