Cadmus
according to ancient Greek tradition, the leader of a colony of Phœnicians, who settled at a very early date in Bœotia, and founded the city of Thebes, B. C. about 1450. The Greeks attributed to him the introduction into their country of the 16 simple alphabetical characters; and the close analogy in form between the Greek and Phoenician alphabets renders this account extremely probable. His personal history is almost entirely entirely fabulous.