ETHIOPIA, or 2ETHIOPIA, in ancient geography is the country lying to the south of Egyptnd comprehending the K modern Nubia, Kordofan, Abyssinia, and other adjacent districts; but its limits were not clearly defined. It was vaguely spoken of in Greek and Roman accounts as the land of the Ichthyophagi or fish eaters, the Macrobii or long-livers, the Troglodytes or dwellers in caves, and of the Pygmies or dwarf races. In ancient times its history was closely connected with that of Egypt, and about the 8th century B. c. it imposed a dynasty on Lower Egypt, and acquired a predomi nant influence in the valley of the Nile. In sacred history Ethiopia is repeatedly mentioned as a powerful military king dom (see particularly Isaiah xx: 5). In the 6th century B. c. the Persian Cam byses invaded Ethiopia; but the country maintained its independence till it be came tributary to the Romans in the reign of Augustus. Subsequently Ethi opia came to be the designation of the country now known as Abyssinia, 'and the Abyssinian monarchs still call them selves rulers of Ethiopia. •4
Language.—The Ethiopian language, or more accurately the Geez language, is the old official and ecclesiastical lan guage of Abyssinia, introduced into that kingdom by settlers from south Arabia. In the 14th century is was supplanted as the language of the Christian Church of Abyssinia by the Amharic. It is a Se mitic language resembling Aramaic and Hebrew as well as Arabic. It has a Christian literature of some importance. The principal work is a translation of the Bible, including the Old and New Testaments and Apocrypha, to which are appended some non-canonical writings, such as the "Shepherd of Hermas" and the "Book of Enoch." The language is to some extent represented by the mod ern dialects of Tigre, and by that spoken by some nomadic tribes of the Sultan.