Psammetichus and the language experiment on infants — Herodotus, Histories Book 2 (2.2.1–2.2.5), Greek & English

§2.2.1

οἱ δὲ Αἰγύπτιοι, πρὶν μὲν ἢ Ψαμμήτιχον σφέων βασιλεῦσαι,¹ ἐνόμιζον ἑωυτοὺς πρώτους γενέσθαι πάντων ἀνθρώπων· ἐπειδὴ δὲ Ψαμμήτιχος βασιλεύσας ἠθέλησε εἰδέναι οἵτινες γενοίατο πρῶτοι,² ἀπὸ τούτου νομίζουσι Φρύγας προτέρους γενέσθαι ἑωυτῶν, τῶν δὲ ἄλλων ἑωυτούς.

The Egyptians, before Psammetichus became their king, believed themselves to be the first of all mankind. But when Psammetichus, having become king, desired to know who were the first, they have from that time believed that the Phrygians were prior to themselves, and themselves prior to all other men.

§2.2.2

Ψαμμήτιχος δὲ ὡς οὐκ ἐδύνατο πυνθανόμενος πόρον οὐδένα τούτου ἀνευρεῖν, οἳ γενοίατο πρῶτοι ἀνθρώπων, ἐπιτεχνᾶται τοιόνδε. παιδία δύο νεογνὰ ἀνθρώπων τῶν ἐπιτυχόντων³ δίδωσι ποιμένι τρέφειν ἐς τὰ ποίμνια τροφήν τινα τοιήνδε, ἐντειλάμενος μηδένα ἀντίον αὐτῶν μηδεμίαν φωνὴν ἱέναι, ἐν στέγῃ δὲ ἐρήμῃ ἐπʼ ἑωυτῶν κέεσθαι αὐτά, καὶ τὴν ὥρην ἐπαγινέειν σφι αἶγας, πλήσαντα δὲ γάλακτος⁴ τἆλλα διαπρήσσεσθαι·

When Psammetichus, despite making inquiries, was unable to discover any means of finding out who were the first of men, he devised the following plan. He took two newborn children of ordinary people and gave them to a shepherd to bring up among his flocks in the following manner, charging that no one should utter any word in their presence, but that they should lie by themselves in a lonely cottage, and that he should bring goats to them at the proper time, and after satisfying them with milk, should attend to his other business.

§2.2.3

ταῦτα δὲ ἐποίεέ τε καὶ ἐνετέλλετο Ψαμμήτιχος θέλων ἀκοῦσαι τῶν παιδίων, ἀπαλλαχθέντων τῶν ἀσήμων κνυζημάτων, ἥντινα φωνὴν ῥήξουσι πρώτην· τά περ ὦν καὶ ἐγένετο. ὡς γὰρ διέτης χρόνος ἐγεγόνεε ταῦτα τῷ ποιμένι πρήσσοντι,⁵ ἀνοίγοντι τὴν θύρην καὶ ἐσιόντι τὰ παιδία ἀμφότερα προσπίπτοντα βεκὸς ἐφώνεον, ὀρέγοντα τὰς χεῖρας.

Psammetichus did this and gave these orders because he wished to hear, when the children had outgrown meaningless whimperings, what language they would first break into; which indeed came to pass. For when a period of two years had passed while the shepherd was doing this, as he opened the door and entered, both the children ran to him and cried “bekos,” stretching out their hands.

§2.2.4

τὰ μὲν δὴ πρῶτα ἀκούσας ἥσυχος ἦν ὁ ποιμήν· ὡς δὲ πολλάκις φοιτέοντι καὶ ἐπιμελομένῳ πολλὸν ἦν τοῦτο τὸ ἔπος, οὕτω δὴ σημήνας τῷ δεσπότῃ ἤγαγε τὰ παιδία κελεύσαντος⁶ ἐς ὄψιν τὴν ἐκείνου. ἀκούσας δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Ψαμμήτιχος ἐπυνθάνετο οἵτινες ἀνθρώπων βεκός τι καλέουσι, πυνθανόμενος δὲ εὕρισκε Φρύγας καλέοντας τὸν ἄρτον.

Now at first, when he heard this, the shepherd kept quiet; but when, as he came and cared for them often, this word was constantly repeated, he finally made it known to his master, and at his command brought the children into his presence. When Psammetichus himself had also heard it, he inquired which of mankind called anything “bekos,” and on inquiry he found that the Phrygians called bread by this name.

§2.2.5

οὕτω συνεχώρησαν Αἰγύπτιοι καὶ τοιούτῳ σταθμησάμενοι πρήγματι τοὺς Φρύγας πρεσβυτέρους εἶναι ἑωυτῶν. ὧδε μὲν γενέσθαι τῶν ἱρέων τοῦ Ἡφαίστου τοῦ ἐν Μέμφι ἤκουον·⁷ Ἕλληνες δὲ λέγουσι ἄλλα τε μάταια πολλὰ καὶ ὡς γυναικῶν τὰς γλώσσας ὁ Ψαμμήτιχος ἐκταμὼν τὴν δίαιταν οὕτω ἐποιήσατο τῶν παίδων παρὰ ταύτῃσι τῇσι γυναιξί.

Thus the Egyptians agreed, drawing their conclusion from such an event, that the Phrygians were older than themselves. This indeed is how I heard it happened from the priests of Hephaestus at Memphis; but the Greeks tell many other foolish tales, and among them that Psammetichus cut out the tongues of women and so had the children brought up in the dwelling of these women.

Syntax notes7 items

2.2.1πρὶν μὲν ἢ Ψαμμήτιχον σφέων βασιλεῦσαι
An accusative and infinitive construction introduced by the conjunction πρὶν ἤ. The accusative Ψαμμήτιχον serves as the subject of the aorist active infinitive βασιλεῦσαι (from βασιλεύω, 'to rule / become king').
2.2.1οἵτινες γενοίατο πρῶτοι
The optative mood in an indirect question clause. γενοίατο is the Ionic form for the 3rd person plural aorist middle optative, equivalent to Attic γένοιντο. It is used here due to sequence of tenses (optative of indirect question) following the secondary tense of the main verb ἠθέλησε.
2.2.2τῶν ἐπιτυχόντων
The genitive plural of the aorist active participle ἐπιτυχών (from ἐπιτυγχάνω, 'to light upon, meet by chance'). The phrase ἀνθρώπων τῶν ἐπιτυχόντων is an idiomatic expression meaning 'ordinary people who happen to be at hand' or 'people of the common sort'.
2.2.2πλήσαντα δὲ γάλακτος
The aorist active participle πλήσαντα (from πίμπλημι, 'to fill') is in the accusative singular. In the series of accusative and infinitive clauses conveying the king's orders, it agrees in case with the implied subject of the infinitive διαπρήσσεσθαι (the shepherd). The genitive γάλακτος is governed by πλήσαντα to denote material of filling.
2.2.3τῷ ποιμένι πρήσσοντι
A dative of reference or relation. In connection with the temporal clause denoting elapsed time (ὡς γὰρ διέτης χρόνος ἐγεγόνεε), τῷ ποιμένι πρήσσοντι indicates the person who was engaged in the action while this period elapsed. The present active participle πρήσσοντι agrees with the dative noun ποιμένι.
2.2.4κελεύσαντος
A genitive absolute construction where the subject pronoun αὐτοῦ (referring to the king, Psammetichus) is omitted; it functions as 'when he (the king) had commanded'.
2.2.5ἤκουον
The first-person singular imperfect active of ἀκούω. The subject is the author (Herodotus himself): 'I heard (it happened thus from the priests)'. Although a third-person plural reading ('they used to hear') is grammatically possible, the first-person singular is standard as Herodotus frequently refers to his own inquiries.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.2.1-2.2.5