Heroditus Overview Flashcards
What did the Egyptians believe before Psammetichus became king
That they were the first to exist of all humans
What did Psammetichus wish to do once becoming king
To know who had been the first to exist
What did they believe before Psammetichus’s test
That the Phrygians came into existence earlier than them, and that they themselves existed earlier than the reat
Why did Psammetichus devise a plan
Because he himself could not discover who had been the first of the humans by making inquiries
What are we told about the babies involved in the experiment
There are two of them
They were from random people
How does Psammetichus show that the babies are to be isolated
- nobody (μηδενα) should let out any utterance
- they should lie on their own (επ´ εαυτών)
- in a deserted room (έν στεγη ετημη)
What animal supplies milk to the babies
A goat (αιγας)
Why did Psammetichus give these instructions
Because he wanted to hear what word the children would utter first
How long did Psammetichus have to wait before he received his answer
Two years (δεοτης χρόνος)
What three things did the children do when the shepherd opened the door
- ran up to him (προσπιπτοντα)
- began uttering ‘bekos’ (εφωνουν ‘βεκοσ’)
- stretching out their hands (ορεγοντα τας χειρας)
What did the shepherd initially do upon hearing the uttering and why
He heard it only for the first time (πρωτα) so he kept quiet (ησυχος ην)
When did the shepherd take the children to Psammetichus
Once the word was much spoken (πολλον ην) to him
What did Psammetichus begin inquiring
Who of mankind (οι τιμές ανθρωπων) called something (τι καλεουσι) ‘bekos’
What did Psammetichus discover
That the Phrygians used the word to mean (καλεοντας) bread (άρτον)
What conclusion did they come to due to the Phrygians using the word ‘bekos’
The Egyptians agreed (συνεχωρησαν) that the Phrygians were older than them (πρεσβυτερους εαυτων)
