Ethiopia

Geography
In describing the region of Ethiopia, Pseudo-Skylax states, “Some say that these Ethiopians occupy the land continuously from this city to Egypt, that this sea is continuous, and that Libya is just a peninsula.” Strabo cites Ephorus to state that the south part of the earth is held by the Ethiopians.

Animals
Hanno of Carthage recorded that the Ethiopians who lived among the wild beasts were ‘inhospitable’. He describes these beasts as grazing but only specifically mentions the Elephant as one that lives in the area. He continues to relate both the lack of civility to the peoples’ proximity to animals and calls others savages. Among these savages also live both crocodiles and hippopotami. Hanno also describes a group of gorillas who are clearly mistaken for people. He describes them as savages, but it is clear that they are animals, rather than people. Eventually, the men who were surveying the area skin the gorillas and take their skins to sell The writer Pseudo-Scylax also mentions that leopards, elephants, deers, and cattle are all native to the Ethiopian mainland, but still suggests that these people are uncivilized because they drink milk which is similar to Odysseus’ interaction with Polyphemus who drank milk. Still other writers such as Diodorus Siculus notes a certain unknown two-headed animal, similar to a tortoise, whose blood allows for the reattachment of a severed limb. Additionally, he says that there are snakes that are extremely large and edible.

People
Many of the ancient authors connect a hard landscape to savage or uncivilized people. Wild beasts and strange creatures are additionally connected to uncivilized tribes. The for instance, the Lixitai are a group of Nomadic people who live by the river Lixos. Nearby these uncivilized people live the Trogodytai who are said to run faster than horses. Eventually Hano of Carthage and his companions meet a group of gorillas who they mistake for extremely hairy women. Despite being told that they are called “gorillas” he is convinced that they are just savages who inhabit cliffs. The author Pseudo-Scylax writes that the the Ethiopians are all well over 6 feet tall and some are even over 7 feet tall. He also says that their king is chosen by who is the tallest. The supposedly exchange foods for various animal skins, but it is not specified what type of goods they receive. In addition to associating various foreigners with strange behaviors and landscapes, ancient authors attribute strange physical attributes to them. Diodorus Siculus recorded that inhabitants of the Island of the Sun were completely hairless except for their head. He also recorded that their limbs were able to be bent and restored like ‘sinews’. Additionally they are given an animalistic trait- a forked tongue that allows them to imitate various animal noises as well as other types of speech. Much different from these people are the savages who inhabit the inlands of Libya. They are described as, “Hav[ing] flat noses, and wooly hair. Their personality is entirely wild, and they exhibit a bestial character,” They supposedly have nails that are curved like the talons of wild animals and wear lip rings. Their savageness is further emphasized in that they show no civility toward one another. There are still others, such as the Atlantians, who are according to Pliny, “Not members of the human community,” but this description is subject to criticism as he is reporting information he has been told Other completely alien beings are also said to inhabit Africa. People such as the Trogodytai who eat the flesh of snakes, but do not speak- they merely hiss. There also existed the Blemmyes who have no heads as their face is located on their chest. Strangely, though, Pliny says that Satyrs live in Africa. It must be assumed that with the descriptions of completely alien people who lack heads or have talons instead of fingernails, the existence of a mythical creature was not farfetched. While they are not identified by name, Pliny mentions those who lack a nose and only have a mouth on their face. Some do not even have a tongue.

Language
Diodorus Siculus believes that a host of Egyptian practices are rooted in preexistent Ethiopian practices. The system of hieroglyphics used by Egyptians, were also said to be an invention of the Ethiopians. However, while the Egyptians use demotic and holy scripts of hieroglyphic texts, the Ethiopians opted for primarily the holy text. Ethiopian society did not make distinctions in their texts for social or religious castes, unlike the Egyptians. Individuals within this community did not need to be priests to use this script.

Customs
According to Herodotus, “They say that the Ethiopians use different laws, distinct from other men’s laws, and especially this law concerning their kingship: their citizens think the man fit to be king is the one they judge to be the largest and to have the strength for a man of such size.” Diodorus Siculus claims to give an account of an island on which individuals live in kinship groups of no larger than 400, and live in a land with a gentle climate in which food is produced spontaneously. These islanders hold all things in common, and their children are raised in common as well. These islanders “pursue simplicity” in taking advantage of the food provided in such abundance by nature. (RECW p. 184-185) Diodorus also mentions what he considers the “most unexpected custom” concerning the death of the Ethiopian king (RECW 188). In addition to this, he emphasizes the differences between Ethiopian customs and “the customs of everyone else,” and again we see the Ethiopian methods of choosing leadership brought up in detail. The companions of the Ethiopian kings are even apparently expected to mutilate themselves in order to bear a similar appearance to their leader. The concern with the safety of the Ethiopian king, and the apparent emphasis on loyalty to the king can be contrasted with accounts of other nations and even perhaps the tumultuous political climate of Rome.

Religion
Diodorus Siculus states that the notion of a divine leader in Egyptian religion actually comes from preexistent Ethiopian practices, and that great care is taken in burial preparation. Priests who attend to the gods are ritually purified, and they shave frequently, wear similar robes, and carry a plow-shaped staff, an accoutrement of royal kingship. They also wear felt hats with a button on top, and these hats are wound around with asps Kings are selected from among the priestly caste, and these gods are then revered as gods. Similarly, kings are instructed to die by the priesthood. Diodorus Siculus states that the priests around Meroe, the most powerful order of priests who generally minister to the gods, are also instructed by the gods as to when the god-king must die. The first king to refuse this order was Ergamenes, who lived during the reign of Ptolemy II, and he did so by slaughtering every priest in the golden temple of that order. Pliny reports that the Augilae only worship the underworld gods. Achilles Tatius reveals that the phoenix exhibits a dichotomy in its appeal to the Egyptians and the Ethiopians. While the phoenix is alive, it is revered by the Ethiopians, but when it dies, it is received by the Nile, and it travels to Heliopolis, where an Egyptian priest and his children bury it.

Food
The Ethiopian king made a correlation between the life-span of those who eat bread “fish-eaters” ambassadors for Cambyses [who lived to 80 years] and his own men who live to 120 and their own food of cooked meat and drinking milk. The Ethiopians not only consume meat and milk but also a large amount of wine that they buy from Phoenicia. This mythical island of the Sun in the middle of Africa is hyper-fertile. Food is produced spontaneously. Bread is made of reeds drenched in warm water. The bread is sweet. Although abundant, the people only eat what they need. Meat and other dishes are roasted and boiled in water. The whole diet is regimented and they do not always eat the same food; days are fixed on which things they eat. They also take turns serving each other. Important to note that one of the men sent as an offering by the Ethiopians to this island was a spice trader (used as a preservative and a flavouring) who took over after his father died young and was seen as a way to ensure that the Ethiopians were blessed by the gods. In regards to the Ethiopians some are hunter-gathers. Some plant. Those that gather collect reeds from the marshlands or twisting branches from a very soft tree. Those that plant, plant sesame and lotus. They also shoot many birds. Most of them live on meat, milk and cheese from the flock. Ethiopians mostly eat millet and barley. They also drink this. Olive oil is not used, instead they use butter and vegetable shortening. They only eat dates as fruits, the palms coming from the royal gardens. They eat meat, animal blood, milk and cheese. Some also eat grass, twigs, shoots, clovers and the roots of reed. Discussing tribes in Africa that are missing certain facial features i.e. the upper lip or the tongue. Those that have a fused mouth without nostrils drink with an oat straw and eat the oat grains that grow wild. Long list of tribes and their eating habits. The physical characteristics are more mystical than human. The ones listed are demonstrated as the extreme of the extreme i.e. Agriophagi eat panthers and lions, the Anthrophagi who are cannibals, and The Tettarabitae who have four legs.