DRAKON AITHIOPIKOS
Greek Name
Δρακων
Αιθιοπικος
Δρακονες
Αιθιοπικοι
Transliteration
Drakôn Aithiopikos
Drakones Aithiopikoi
Latin Spelling
Draco Aethiopicus
Dracones Aethiopici
Translation
Serpent of Ethiopia
Serpents of Ethiopia
THE DRAKON AITHIOPIKOS (Ethiopian Dragon) was a breed of giant serpent native to the lands of Aithiopia (sub-Saharan Africa).
CLASSICAL LITERATURE QUOTES
Aelian, On Animals 2. 21 (trans. Scholfield) (Greek natural history C2nd A.D.)
:
"The land of Aithiopia (Ethiopia)--the place where the gods bathe, celebrated by Homer under the name of
Okeanos (Oceanus), is an excellent and desirable neighbour--this land, I say, is the mother of the very largest
Drakones (Dragon-Serpents). For, you must know, they attain to a length of one hundred and eighty feet, and they
are not called by the name of any species, but people say that they kill elephants, and these Drakones rival the
longest-lived animals. Thus far the accounts from Aithiopia."
SOURCES
GREEK
- Aelian, On Animals - Greek Natural History C2nd - 3rd A.D.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
A complete bibliography of the translations quoted on this page.