Laudator Temporis Acti

Clement of Alexandria, Miscellanies 5.8.48 (modified from William Wilson's translation):

And Apollodorus of Corcyra says that these lines were recited by Branchus the seer, when purifying the Milesians from plague; for he, sprinkling the multitude with branches of laurel, led off the hymn somehow as follows:

"Sing Boys Hekaergos and Hekaerga."

And the people accompanied him, saying, "Bedu, Zaps, Khthom, Plectron, Sphinx; Knaxzbikh, Thuptes, Phlegmo, Drops."

Ἀπολλόδωρος δ' ὁ Κερκυραῖος τοὺς στίχους τούσδε ὑπὸ Βράγχου ἀναφωνηθῆναι τοῦ μάντεως λέγει Μιλησίους καθαίροντος ἀπὸ λοιμοῦ. ὃ μὲν γὰρ ἐπιρραίνων τὸ πλῆθος δάφνης κλάδοις προκατήρχετο τοῦ ὕμνου ὧδέ πως·

μέλπετε, ὦ παῖδες, ἑκάεργον καὶ ἑκαέργαν·

ἐπέψαλλεν δὲ ὡς εἰπεῖν ὁ λαός· "βέδυ, ζάψ, χθώμ, πλῆκτρον, σφίγξ· κναξζβίχ, θύπτης, φλεγμό, δρώψ."

Κερκυραῖος L: Ἀθηναῖος Christ, Κυρηναῖος Koetschau
χθώμ Nauck: χθών L
κναξζβίχ, θύπτης Stählin: κναξζβὶ, χθύπτης L