Ibex

Ibex in the 1st century BCE Egypt

Ibex is a term for a number of a species of wild goats which inhabit the mountains of northeast Africa, southern and central Europe, and western Asia.

History

5th century BCE

In Classical Greece, ibex roamed the wild areas of the mainland and islands, preyed on by wolves and bears. The Spartan misthios Kassandra often hunted ibex for leather and their horns, which were valued at 8 drachmae apiece, and considered to be a worthy sculpting material. Occasionally, Kassandra's eagle Ikaros also took part in the hunt.

1st century BCE

In Egypt during the Ptolemaic dynasty, ibex horns had solidified their status as a material for sculpting.

In 49 BCE, the Medjay Bayek took his son Khemu on an ibex hunt on the outskirts of their home of Siwa, after the latter declined to accompany his friend Chenzira to visit a nearby hyena lair. Pharaoh Ptolemy XIII was expected in Siwa that day for a ceremony, and one of the requests by the Oracle of Amun was the pelt of an ibex stag. Demonstrating to his son the art of hunting, Bayek killed an ibex pack leader with a clean shot to the heart using his bow.

Behind the scenes

In Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, ibexes are referred to by the broader clade goats.

Gallery

• 
  An ibex in the wilds of Malis, Greece
• 
  A female and male ibex in 5th-century BCE Greece
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  Ikaros swooping down on an ibex

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Origins (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: Odyssey
• Assassin's Creed: Mirage – Valley of Memory (mentioned in Database entry only)