OPHIS PTEROTOS

Greek Name Transliteration Latin Spelling Translation

Οφις Πτερωτος Ophis Pterôtos Ophis Pterotus Winged Serpent

Οφιες Πτερωτοι Ophies Pterôtoi Ophies Pteroti Winged Serpents
THE OPHIS PTEROTOS (Winged Serpent) was a breed of feathery-winged snake that guarded the
frankincense groves of Arabia. They were sometimes called Ophies Amphipterotoi or "Serpent with
Two-Pairs of Wings."

ALTERNATE NAMES
Greek Name Transliteration Latin Spelling Translation

Οφιες Ophies Amphipterôtoi Ophies Amphipteroti Double-Winged

Αμφιπτερωτοι Serpents
CLASSICAL LITERATURE QUOTES
Herodotus, Histories 2. 75. 1-4 (trans. Godley) (Greek historian C5th B.C.) :
"There is a place in Arabia not far from the town of Bouto (Buto) where I went to learn about the Winged
Serpents (ophies pteretoi). When I arrived there, I saw innumerable bones and backbones of serpents:
many heaps of backbones, great and small and even smaller. This place, where the backbones lay
scattered, is where a narrow mountain pass opens into a great plain, which adjoins the plain of Aigyptos
(Egypt).
Winged serpents (ophies pteretoi) are said to fly from Arabia at the beginning of spring, making for
Aigyptos; but the ibis birds encounter the invaders in this pass and kill them. The Arabians say that the
ibis is greatly honored by the Aigyptoi (Egyptians) for this service, and the Aigyptoi give the same
reason for honoring these birds."
Herodotus, Histories 3. 107. 1 - 110.1 :
"Again, Arabia is the most distant to the south of all inhabited countries: and this is the only country
which produces frankincense and myrrh and casia and cinnamon and gum-mastich. All these except
myrrh are difficult for the Arabians to get. They gather frankincense by burning that storax which
Phoinikes (Phoenicians) carry to Hellas; they burn this and so get the frankincense; for the spice-
bearing trees are guarded by small Winged Snakes (ophies hypopteroi) of varied color, many around
each tree; these are the snakes that attack Aigyptos (Egypt). Nothing except the smoke of storax will
drive them away from the trees . . .
So too if the vipers and the Winged Serpents (ophies hypopteroi) of Arabia were born in the natural
manner of serpents life would be impossible for men; but as it is, when they copulate, while the male is
in the act of procreation and as soon as he has ejaculated his seed, the female seizes him by the neck,
and does not let go until she has bitten through. The male dies in the way described, but the female
suffers in return for the male the following punishment: avenging their father, the young while they are
still within the womb gnaw at their mother and eating through her bowels thus make their way out.
Other snakes, that do no harm to men, lay eggs and hatch out a vast number of young. The Arabian
Winged Serpents do indeed seem to be numerous; but that is because (although there are vipers in
every land) these are all in Arabia and are found nowhere else. The Arabians get frankincense in the
foregoing way."
Aelian, On Animals 2. 38 (trans. Scholfield) (Greek natural history C2nd A.D.) :
"The Black Ibis does not permit the Winged Serpents (Ophies Pterotoi) from Arabia to cross into
Aigyptos (Egypt), but fights to protect the land it loves."
Aelian, On Animals 16. 41 :
"Megasthenes states that in India there are . . . snakes (ophies) with wings, and that their visitations
occur not during the daytime but by night, and that they emit urine which at once produces a festering
wound on any body on which it may happen to drop."