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Herodotus alludes to
this story in his Book, Euterpe. More of Herodotus' comments are
in the Extent Evidence.
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The Most Ancient People
Way back when,
there was this Egyptian king named Psammetichus. He wondered
who the most ancient people were. He figured it
was a cinch that it was either the Egyptians or the
Phrygians but he had to be sure.
It was thus
that he decided to take two kids and give
them to a shepherd. This guy
was to raise the kids but never speak to them. In fact, nobody could to talk to kids or even speak in their presence.
Psammetichus thought
that the first word they articulated would
indicate which people was the oldest.
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So years when
by and nobody spoke to the kids or around them. Then one day, the children rushed up to the shepherd and said "Bibamus."
He thought nothing of it until the next morning when they greeted him
with the same word.
The shepherd
finished up his chores and went into town to see the king and told
him what the kids said. The king had the children brought
before him. Once again the children said the word "Bibamus."
With those words all hell broke loose in the court.
The King had discovered
the most ancient people and in the same moment a horrifying
realization. Bibamus was the word for drink and often heard on the
lips of the most feared people: the MochThos.
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