OCR Greek GCSE Prose Literature A
(Herodotus) - Psammetichus, Book 2,
Chapter 2 2023/2024 Exam Years
OCR Greek GCSE Prose Literature A (Herodotus) -
... [Show More] Psammetichus, Book 2, Chapter 2. This broken down
as best as possible into manageable chunks for memorisation on our dear exam board. Applicable only
to candidates sitting their exams in 2023/2024.
οἱ δὲ Αἰγύπτιοι, πρὶν μὲν ἢ Ψαμμήτιχον σφέων βασιλεῦσαι, ἐνόμιζον ἑωυτοὺς πρώτους
γενέσθαι πάντων ἀνθρώπων: - ANS-The Egyptians, before Psammetichus became
their King, thought that they themselves were the oldest of all mankind.
ἐπειδὴ δὲ Ψαμμήτιχος βασιλεύσας ἠθέλησε εἰδέναι οἵτινες γενοίατο πρῶτοι, ἀπὸ τούτου
νομίζουσι Φρύγας προτέρους γενέσθαι ἑωυτῶν, τῶν δὲ ἄλλων ἑωυτούς. - ANS-But
since Psammetichus, on becoming King, wished to know for sure who were the oldest,
from this time they thought that the Phrygianns are older than themselves, and
considered themselves to be older than everyone else.
Ψαμμήτιχος δὲ ὡς οὐκ ἐδύνατο πυνθανόμενος πόρον οὐδένα τούτου ἀνευρεῖν, οἳ
γενοίατο πρῶτοι ἀνθρώπων, ἐπιτεχνᾶται τοιόνδε. - ANS-And Psammetichus, when he
was not able to find a way to discover this, who were the oldest of men, he devised the
following.
παιδία δύο νεογνὰ ἀνθρώπων τῶν ἐπιτυχόντων δίδωσι ποιμένι τρέφειν ἐς τὰ ποίμνια
τροφήν τινα τοιήνδε, ἐντειλάμενος μηδένα ἀντίον αὐτῶν μηδεμίαν φωνὴν ἱέναι, - ANSHe gave two new-born children of man, taken at random, to a shepherd to rear,
instructing that no-one should utter any speech in their presence,
ἐν στέγῃ δὲ ἐρήμῃ ἐπ᾽ ἑωυτῶν κέεσθαι αὐτά, καὶ τὴν ὥρην ἐπαγινέειν σφι αἶγας,
πλήσαντα δὲ γάλακτος τἆλλα διαπρήσσεσθαι: - ANS-but that they should be put in a
lonely hut by themselves, and that at the appropriate time the shepherd should bring in
goats to them, and having filled them with milk, should do all the other necessary things.
ταῦτα δὲ ἐποίεέ τε καὶ ἐνετέλλετο Ψαμμήτιχος εθέλων ἀκοῦσαι ἥντινα φωνὴν ῥήξουσι
πρώτην οι παιδες, ἀπαλλαχθέντων τῶν ἀσήμων κνυζημάτων. - ANS-Psammetichus did
these things and gave these instructions, wishing to hear what speech the children
would first break into, when meaningless baby-talk was set aside.
άπερ ουν καὶ ἐγένετο. - ANS-
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