ETHIOPIAN BULL (Tauros Aithiopikos) - Animal of Greek & Roman Legend

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href="../greek-mythology/bestiary.html">Bestiary</a> >> <a href="../greek-mythology/fantastic-creatures.html">Legendary Creatures</a> >> Ethiopian Bull (Tauros Aithiopikos)</section> <h1>TAUROS AITHIOPIKOS</h1> <div class="row names-row"> <div class="col-sm-3 col-xs-6 names-box"> <h5>Greek Name</h5>  <p class="names-greek">Ταυρο&sigmaf; Αιθιοπικο&sigmaf;<br> Ταυροι Αιθιοπικοι</p> </div> <div class="col-sm-3 col-xs-6 names-box"> <h5>Transliteration</h5>  <p>Tauros Aithiopikos<br> Tauroi Aithiopikoi</p> </div> <div class="col-sm-3 col-xs-6 names-box"> <h5>Roman Name</h5>  <p>Tauri Aethiopicum<br> Sylvestres</p> </div> <div class="col-sm-3 col-xs-6 names-box"> <h5>Translation</h5>  <p>Ethiopian Bull<br> Ethiopian Bulls</p> </div> </div>  <figure class="image-main image-main-350"><img src="../image/pictures-ethiopian-bull.jpg" class="img-responsive center-block" alt="Ethiopian bull | Der Naturen Bloeme manuscript (1350) | National Library of the Netherlands"> <figcaption>Ethiopian bull, Der Naturen Bloeme manuscript (1350), <a href="https://www.kb.nl/" target="_blank">National Library of the Netherlands</a></figcaption> </figure> <p>THE TAUROS AITHIOPIKOS (Ethiopian Bull) was a ferocious breed of carnivorous bull native to Aithiopia (Ethiopia) in sub-Saharan Africa. Its thick, red hide was impervious to weapons.</p> <p> The bull was probably derived from ancient travellers' accounts of the African buffalo.</p> <hr>       <h2>CLASSICAL LITERATURE QUOTES</h2> <p><span class="quote-greek">Aelian, On Animals 17. 45 (trans. Scholfield) (Greek natural history C2nd A.D.) :</span><br> "It seems that those Aithiopian (Ethiopian) Bulls which they call ‘flesh-eaters’ are the most savage of animals. They are twice the size of Bulls in Greece, and their speed is very great. Their hair is red, their eyes blue-grey, more so than the eyes of lions. In normal times they move their horns as they do their ears, but when fighting they raise them, making them stand strongly up, and so do battle; and once raised in passion owing to some truly wonderful natural cause their horns do not go aslant. No spear, no arrow can wound them: iron, you see, does not penetrate their hide, for the Bull raises its bristles and throws off the weapons showered upon it in vain. And it attacks herds of horses and also wild animals. Accordingly herdsmen who wish to protect their flocks dig deep concealed ditches and by these means ambush the Bulls. And when they fall into these ditches they are choked with rage. Among the Troglodytoi (Troglodytes, Cave-Dwellers) this is judged to be the king of beasts, and rightly so, for it possesses the courage of a lion, the speed of a horse, the strength of a bull, and is stronger than iron."</p> <p><span class="quote-latin">Pliny the Elder, Natural History 8. 74 (trans. Rackham) (Roman encyclopedia C1st A.D.) :</span><br> "Aethiopia (Ethiopia) produces . . . many monstrosities : . . . But its fiercest animals are the Forest Bulls (<em>Tauri Silvestres</em>), larger than the bulls of the field, surpassing all in speed, of a tawny colour, with blue eyes, hair turned backward, mouth gaping open to the ears, along with mobile horns; the hide has the hardness of flint, rejecting every wound. They hunt all wild animals, but themselves can only be caught in pits, and when caught always die game."</p> <hr>   <h2 id="Sources">SOURCES</h2> <h3>GREEK</h3> <ul class="sources"> <li>Aelian, On Animals <span class="sources-detail">- Greek Natural History C2nd - 3rd A.D.</span></li> </ul> <h3>ROMAN</h3> <ul class="sources"> <li>Pliny the Elder, Natural History <span class="sources-detail">- Latin Encyclopedia C1st A.D.</span></li> </ul>  <h3>BIBLIOGRAPHY</h3> <p><a href="../Bibliography.html">A complete bibliography of the translations quoted on this page.</a></p> </main> <aside class="col-md-4 col-xs-12" id="sidebar"> <div id="sidebar-top-dynamic"><div class="proper-ad-unit" style="height:600px;"> <div id="proper-ad-theoi_side_1"> <script> propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('theoi_side_1'); }); </script> </div> </div></div> <div style="margin: 10px 0; text-align: center;"></div> <form action="https://www.google.com" id="cse-search-box"> <div> <input type="hidden" name="cx" value="partner-pub-4620319056007131:6471644432" /> <input type="hidden" name="ie" value="UTF-8" /> <input type="text" name="q" size="30" /> <input type="submit" name="sa" value="Search Theoi.com" /> </div> </form> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.google.com/coop/cse/brand?form=cse-search-box&lang=en"></script>  <h2>SUMMARY</h2> <table border="1" class="summary-table"> <caption> THE ETHIOPIAN BULL </caption> <tbody> <tr> <th scope="row">Form</th> <td>Red bull</td> </tr> <tr> <th scope="row">Home</th> <td>Ethiopia</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>    <div style="margin: 10px 0; text-align: center;"></div> <div id="sidebar-bottom-dynamic"><div class="proper-ad-unit"> <div id="proper-ad-theoi_side_2"> <script> propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('theoi_side_2'); }); </script> </div> </div> <h2><a href="/articles/">RECENT ARTICLES</a></h2> <p><a href="/articles/was-achilles-a-warrior/">Who Was Achilles A Warrior?</a></p> <p><a href="/articles/what-were-the-12-labors-of-hercules/">What Were The 12 Labors of Hercules?</a></p> <p><a href="/articles/significance-of-greek-mythology-fire/">Gods, Spirits & Monsters A - Z</a></p> <br> <div class="proper-ad-unit"> <div id="proper-ad-theoi_side_3"> <script> propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('theoi_side_3'); }); </script> </div> </div></div> </aside> <footer> <div id="footer-top-dynamic"><br> </div> <div style="margin: 10px 0; text-align: center;"></div> <div id="border-footer">.</div> <p>Theoi Project 漏 Copyright 2000 - 2017 Aaron J. 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ETHIOPIAN BULL (Tauros Aithiopikos) - Animal of Greek & Roman Legend