Psammetichus
historical figure · 2 works · 4 mentions · 13 anchored passages
Psammetichus I · Psammetichus king of Egypt
in the texts
The Histories
King of Egypt who intercepted the Scythian army in Palestinian Syria and persuaded it, with gifts and entreaties, to turn back before reaching Egypt.
and when they were in the part of Syria called Palestine, Psammetichus king of Egypt met them and persuaded them with gifts and prayers to come no further.
Psammetichus heard of it and pursued them;
Psammetichus then heard them himself, and asked to what language the word “Bekos” belonged;
Ad Nationes
Egyptian king said to have conducted an experiment to discover humanity's first nation and language.
For he is said to have handed over infants fresh from birth, to be reared apart from human dealings, to a nurse whom for that very purpose he had deprived of her tongue, so that, being wholly exiled from the human voice, they might form their speech not from hearing, but uttering it from themselves, might mark out as the first nation that one whose sound nature had dictated.