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Elephantine serves Herodotus, moreover, as geographical focal point for attributing ethnic identity. In his account of the question whether the Libyans were Egyptians, he cites the Oracle of Ammon which identifies all those as Egyptians who dwelled from below (Greek: ἔνερθε) the city of Elephantine and drank of the river Nile (II 18).

Herodotus furthermore mentions in his third book (III 17-20) people referred to as Ichthyophagoi (Greek: Ἰχθυοφάγοι = “fish-eaters”), who lived on the island of Elephantine.¹ They appear in a recount of an expedition to Ethiopia under King Cambyses II.² In this account, the King sends spies under the pretense of bearing gifts to the King of Ethiopia.³ For this role he chooses the Ichthyophagoi from Elephantine because they understood the Ethiopian language (III 17-20).

Herodotus did not provide further identification of these Ichthyophagoi, neither did he give an explanation why they spoke the Ethiopian language. But perhaps one would not be misled in assuming that they were fishermen⁴ who lived on the Island of Elephantine and learned the Ethiopian tongue because of the geographical proximity to this kingdom.

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