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]
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]
Adam of Bremen wrote in the 11th century that the Scritofinni could run faster than wild animals.[4] Olaus Magnus addresses this in his work Historia de Gentibus Septentrionalibus where he explains that the Scritofinni gets their name from the jumping motion they perform while hunting on skis.[5] The same connection can also be seen in Abraham Ortelius's map Europam, Sive Celticam Veterem from 1595 where he places Hippopodes and Scricofinni in the same area of northern Scandinavia.[6]
The Travels of Sir John Mandeville places the Hippopodes in Maritime Southeast Asia, and adds that they are particularly fleet-footed and hunt by running down their prey.[7]
A 2014 multispectral imaging project led by Chet van Duzer revealed that a map created by Henricus Martellus Germanus and likely used by Christopher Columbus located the Hippopodes in Central Asia.[8]