Hippopodes
Hippopodes, meaning "horse-footed," is an allegorical creature in Greek mythology that is often associated with greed. According to the myth, the Hippopodes were a tribe of beings with the lower bodies of horses and the upper bodies of men. They were said to have guarded a fabulous treasure, but their insatiable greed made them unwilling to share it with anyone. This greed ultimately led to their downfall. The allegory of the Hippopodes serves as a cautionary tale against the dangers of greed and avarice.[1]
Ancient sources
According to some ancient geographers, the Hippopodes shared an island with two other legendary races: the Panotti and Oeonae. Pliny the Elder's Natural History locates this island near the Scythian coast;[2] Pomponius Mela's De situ orbis places it in or around the North Sea, mentioning it alongside Denmark and the Orkney Islands (Mela iii. § 56).[3]
Later accounts
The Travels of Sir
A 2014 multispectral imaging project led by Chet van Duzer revealed that a c. 1491 map created by Henricus Martellus Germanus and likely used by Christopher Columbus located the Hippopodes in Central Asia.[8]
References
- ^ Smith, W (1873). Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. p. 291.
- ^ "Hippopodes". Theoi Greek Mythology. Retrieved 2008-12-28.
- ISBN 9780472084524.
- ISBN 91-1-863632-2.
- ^ Magnus, Olaus (1555). Historia om de nordiska folken. p. 18.
- ^ "Celctic Europe by Abraham Ortelius". 6 September 2015. Retrieved 2020-05-09.
- ^ Mandeville, Sir John (1883). The Voiage and Travaile of Sir John Maundeville, Kt. which Treateth of the Way to Hierusalem: And of Marvayles of Inde, with Other Ilands and Countryes. London: Reeves and Turner. p. 205. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
- ^ Miller, Greg (8 October 2018). "A 500-year-old map used by Columbus reveals its secrets". National Geographic. Archived from the original on October 26, 2018. Retrieved 26 August 2019.