Palamedes, The sonne of Nauplius king of Eubœa, a greate enemie of Vlpsses, by whom in % end he was in false iudgement condemued and stoned to death. For when al the princes of Greece were appointed to go to Troy, Vlysses, lath to depart from his new marved wife, fayned himselfe madde, and the more to make men beleeue it, hee yoked beastes of diuerse kindes, and sowed salte. But Palamedes to try his craftie dissimulation, laide his yong sonne Telemachus in the way as the plough shoulde go, whom when Vlysses perceyued he lifted vp the plough, that he might not hurt him. Wherby his dissimulation being perceiued, he was taken to Troy whether he wonld or no. In displeasure of this and certaine other matters, Vlysses being at Troy counterfeyted letters from Priamus to Palamedes, wherin he gaue thankes for treason that hee condescended vnto, and made mention of a greate summe of money, that priuilye hee hadde sent him, which summe of money, Vlysses corrupting the seruauntes of Palamedes had caused to be hidde in the ground in his Tent. When these letters were apprehended and openly read, and Palamedes accused of treason, Vlysses seemeth to take part with him, and earnestly to affirme that he was guiltlesse, and the letters counterfeyted, and % the same might easily be tryed, if they did search his Tent, For if there were found any such sum of money, as the letters specifyed, that Palamedes would confesse himselfe to be guiltie, if not, as he was suts they thould not, that then it might wel appeare he was vniusslye accused. But when the search was made, the money was there founde digged in the ground, and Palamedes therevpon condemned, and by the whole armie stoned to death. This man is reported tohaue inuented certaine letters of the Greeke crosse row, and also the game of Chestes, and maners of weightes and poyses, and sirste to haue applyed the years to the course of the sunne, and moneth to the courfe of the moone, Hee firste also deuised the array of battaile, the watchwords & watches in the campe, espetially by the example of Cranes, and therfore they are called Palamedes his birds.
Lewis and Short: Latin dictionary
Pălămēdes, is, m., = *palamh/dhs, son of Nauplius, king of Eubœa, who lost his life before Troy, through the artifices of Ulysses, Cic. Tusc. 1, 41, 98; id. Off. 3, 26, 98; Auct. Her. 2, 19, 28. He is said, by observing the flight of cranes, to have invented the letters *q, *c, *f, *x, acc. to others the letters *u and *d, Plin. 7, 56, 57, 192; Mart. 13, 75, 2.—Hence, A. Pălămēdēus, a, um, adj., Palamedean, Manil. 4, 206.—B. Pă-lămēdĭăcus, a, um, adj., Palamedic: Palamediaci calculi,
the counters in the game of draughts which Palamedes invented
, Cassiod. Var. 8, 31.—C. Pălămēdĭ-cus, a, um, adj., Palamedic, Aus. Techn. de Monosyll. 25.