Abbreviations . . xiii

1. Polyphemus the Linguist . . 1
1. Languages in Homer . . 1
2. The Cyclopes' Society . . 4
3. Language, Diet, and Laws . . 8
4. Communicating with Animals . . 11

2. Language in the Golden Age . . 18
1. The Nature of Language in the Golden Age . . 18
2. Early Languages . . 36
3. Hesiod, Homer, and the Golden Age . . 46
4. Animals in the Golden Age . . 57

3. Psammetichus' Children . . 68
1. The Experiment and its Background . . 68
2. First Words and First Gestures . . 83
3. Later Variations on Psammetichus' Trial . . 92
4. Ancient Reactions to the Experiment . . 107

4. The Invention of Language . . 112
1. Gods as Inventors of Language . . 113
2. Culture Heroes and First Men: Palamedes, Theuth, and Phoroneus . . 122
3. The Great Myth of the Protagoras . . 127
4. Fire and Language . . 147
5. Men Invent Language Together . . 158

5. Between Language and Speech . . 182
1. Introduction: Language, Speech, and Communication . . 182 
2. The Languages of Primitive Peoples . . 184
3. Gestures and Mute Voices . . 195
4. Speaking Animals . . 207

Bibliography . . 213
Index Locorum . . 227
General Index . . 243