"Mithridates VI of Pontus could speak the languages of all the twenty-two nations he governed"
Now… does that mean he could speak 22 languages? And what were these languages? It's a pity Pliny didn't tell. :-D
Mithridates, Master of Languages
There are several speculations about the list of languages, but here’s my suggestion :-D
Probably Latin
Greek
Lycaonian, possibly a Greek dialect
Cappadocian and Phrygian. Possibly related to Greek
Luwian, Lycian, Lydian, Pisidian; Anatolian languages
Mysian, Pamphylian, Isaurian and Paphlagonian (Palaic) – unknown, possibly related to Anatolian languages or Greek
Galatian (Celtic)
Urartian
Thynian and Bithynian (Thracian)
Armenian
Scythian
Median, Gurani, Zaza, Parthian (North-Western Iranian languages)
Persian
Georgian, Meshketian, Mingrelian, Svan, Zan (Kartvelian languages)
Abkhaz
and
Aramaic
Now… does that mean he could speak 22 languages? And what were these languages? It's a pity Pliny didn't tell. :-D
Mithridates, Master of Languages
There are several speculations about the list of languages, but here’s my suggestion :-D
Probably Latin
Greek
Lycaonian, possibly a Greek dialect
Cappadocian and Phrygian. Possibly related to Greek
Luwian, Lycian, Lydian, Pisidian; Anatolian languages
Mysian, Pamphylian, Isaurian and Paphlagonian (Palaic) – unknown, possibly related to Anatolian languages or Greek
Galatian (Celtic)
Urartian
Thynian and Bithynian (Thracian)
Armenian
Scythian
Median, Gurani, Zaza, Parthian (North-Western Iranian languages)
Persian
Georgian, Meshketian, Mingrelian, Svan, Zan (Kartvelian languages)
Abkhaz
and
Aramaic
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