ARTABATITAI
Greek Name
Αρταβατιται
Transliteration
Artabatitai
Latin Spelling
Artabatitae
Translation
Dependent on the Tread
THE ARTABATITAI (Artabititae) were a tribe of four-legged African men who roved around on all fours like animals. Their name was apparently derived from the Greek words artaô and bateô which means something like "depending on treading"--a reference to their mode of locomotion.
Like many other southern tribes they were probably derived from ancient traveller's accounts of apes or monkeys.
CLASSICAL LITERATURE QUOTES
Pliny the Elder, Natural History 6. 195 (trans. Rackham) (Roman encyclopedia C1st A.D.) :
"Then come regions [in Africa] that are purely imaginary : towards the west [of the Ethiopian kingdom of Meroe] are . . . the Artabatitae, who have four legs and rove about like wild animals."
SOURCES
ROMAN
- Pliny the Elder, Natural History - Latin Encyclopedia C1st A.D.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
A complete bibliography of the translations quoted on this page.