[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Foreign](https://indike.org/pramana/inf) › [Greek](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.gr) › [Hellenistic (323–31 BCE)](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.gr.hellenistic) › [Ἰνδικά](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.gr.hellenistic.megasthenes) › 1.1-2 # Ἰνδικά 1.1-2 Ἰνδικά 1.1-2 - **Language:** Ancient Greek ### [1.1](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.gr.hellenistic.megasthenes.1.1) Ἡ τοίνυν Ἰνδικὴ τετράπλευρος οὖσα τῷ σχήματι, τὴν μὲν πρὸς ἀνατολὰς νεύουσαν πλευρὰν καὶ τὴν πρὸς τὴν μεσημβρίαν ἡ μεγάλη περιέχει θάλαττα, τὴν δὲ πρὸς τὰς ἄρκτους τὸ Ἠμωδὸν ὄρος διείργει τῆς Σκυθίας, ἣν κατοικοῦσι τῶν Σκυθῶν οἱ προσαγορευόμενοι Σάκαι· τὴν δὲ τετάρτην τὴν πρὸς δύσιν ἐστραμμένην διείληφεν ὁ Ἰνδὸς προσαγορευόμενος ποταμὸς, μέγιστος ὢν σχεδὸν τῶν ἁπάντων μετὰ τὸν Νεῖλον. (2) Τὸ δὲ μέγεθος τῆς ὅλης Ἰνδικῆς φασιν ὑπάρχειν ἀπὸ μὲν ἀνατολῶν πρὸς δύσιν δισμυρίων ὀκτακισχιλίων σταδίων, ἀπὸ δὲ τῶν ἄρκτων πρὸς μεσημβρίαν τρισμυρίων δισχιλίων. Τηλικαύτη δὲ οὖσα τὸ μέγεθος δοκεῖ μάλιστα τοῦ κόσμου περιέχειν τὸν τῶν θερινῶν τροπῶν κύκλον, καὶ πολλαχῇ μὲν ἐπ’ ἄκρας τῆς Ἰνδικῆς ἰδεῖν ἔστιν ἀσκίους ὄντας τοὺς γνώμονας, νυκτὸς δὲ τὰς ἄρκτους ἀθεωρήτους· ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἐσχάτοις οὐδ’ αὐτὸν τὸν ἀρκτοῦρον φαίνεσθαι· καθ’ ὃνδὴ τρόπον φασὶ καὶ τὰς σκιὰς κεκλίσθαι πρὸς μεσημβρίαν. 3. Ἡ δ’ οὐν Ἰνδικὴ πολλὰ μὲν ὄρη καὶ μεγάλα ἔχει δένδρεσι παντοδαποῖς καρπίμοις πληθύοντα, πολλὰ δὲ πεδία καὶ μεγάλα καρποφόρα, τῷ μὲν κάλλει διάφορα, ποταμῶν δὲ πλήθεσι διαιρούμενα. Τὰ πολλὰ δὲ τῆς χώρας ἀρδεύεται, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο διττοὺς ἔχει τοὺς κατ’ ἔτος καρπούς· ζῴων τε παντοδαπῶν γέμει διαφόρων τοῖς μεγέθεσι καὶ ταῖς ἀλκαῖς, τῶν μὲν χερσαίων, τῶν δὲ καὶ πτηνῶν. > (35.) India, which is in shape quadrilateral, has its eastern as well as its western side bounded by the great sea, but on the northern side it is divided by Mount Hemodos from that part of Skythia which is inhabited by those Skythians who are called the Sakai, while the fourth or western side is bounded by the river called the Indus, which is perhaps the largest of all rivers in the world after the Nile. The extent of the whole country from east to west is said to be 28,000 stadia, and from north to south 32,000. Being thus of such vast extent, it seems well-nigh to embrace the whole of the northern tropic zone of the earth, and in fact at the extreme point of India the gnomon of the sundial may frequently be observed to cast no shadow, while the constellation of the Bear is by night invisible, and in the remotest parts even Arcturus disappears from view. Consistently with this, it is also stated that shadows there fall to the southward. > — John Watson McCrindle 1877, Ancient India as Described by Megasthenês and Arrian > India has many huge mountains which abound in fruit-trees of every kind, and many vast plains of great fertility — more or less beautiful, but all alike intersected by a multitude of rivers. The greater part of the soil, moreover, is under irrigation, and consequently bears two crops in the course of the year. It teems at the same time with animals of all sorts, — beasts of the field and fowls of the air, — of all different degrees of strength and size. It is prolific, besides, in elephants, which are of monstrous bulk, as its soil supplies food in unsparing profusion, making these animals far to exceed in strength those that are bred in Libya. It results also that, since they are caught in great numbers by the Indians and trained for war, they are of great moment in turning the scale of victory. (36.) The inhabitants, in like manner, having abundant means of subsistence, exceed in consequence the ordinary stature, and are distinguished by their proud bearing. They are also found to be well skilled in the arts, as might be expected of men who inhale a pure air and drink the very finest water. And while the soil bears on its surface all kinds of fruits which are known to cultivation, it has also underground numerous veins of all sorts of metals, for it contains much gold and silver, and copper and iron in no small quantity, and even tin and other metals, which are employed in making articles of use and ornament, as well as the implements and accoutrements of war. > — John Watson McCrindle 1877, Ancient India as Described by Megasthenês and Arrian ### [1.2](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.gr.hellenistic.megasthenes.1.2) (4) Καὶ πλείστους δὲ καὶ μεγίστους ἐλέφαντας ἐκτρέφει, χορηγοῦσα τὰς τροφὰς ἀφθόνως, δι’ ἃς ταῖς ῥώμαις τὰ θηρία ταῦτα πολὺ προέχει τῶν κατὰ τὴν Λιβύην γεννωμένων· διὸ καὶ πολλῶν θηρευομένων ὑπὸ τῶν Ἰνδῶν καὶ πρὸς τοὺς πολεμικοὺς ἀγῶνας κατασκευαζομένων μεγάλας συμβαίνει γίνεσθαι ῥοπὰς πρὸς τὴν νίκην. XXXVI. 5. Ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἡ πολυκαρπία τρέφουσα τοῖς τε ἀναστήμασι τῶν σωμάτων καὶ τοῖς ὄγκοις ὑπερφέροντας κατασκευάζει· εἶναι δὲ αὐτοὺς συμβαίνει καὶ πρὸς τὰς τέχνας ἐπιστήμονας, ὡς ἂν ἀέρα μὲν ἕλκοντας καθαρὸν, ὕδωρ δὲ λεπτομερέστατον πίνοντας. (6) Ἡ δὲ γῆ πάμφορος οὖσα τοῖς ἡμέροις καρποῖς ἔχει καὶ φλέβας καταγείους πολλῶν καὶ παντοδαπῶν μετάλλων· γίνεται γὰρ ἐν αὐτῇ πολὺς μὲν ἄργυρος καὶ χρυσὸς, οὐκ ὀλίγος δὲ χαλκὸς καὶ σίδηρος, ἔτι δὲ καττίτερος καὶ τἄλλα τὰ πρὸς κόσμον τε καὶ χρείαν καὶ πολεμικὴν παρασκευὴν ἀνήκοντα. (7) Χωρὶς δὲ τῶν δημητριακῶν καρπῶν φύεται κατὰ τὴν Ἰνδικὴν πολλὴ μὲν κέγχρος, ἀρδευομένη τῇ τῶν ποταμίων ναμάτων δαψιλείᾳ, πολὺ δὲ ὄσπριον καὶ διαφορον, ἔτι δὲ ὄρυζα καὶ τὸ προσαγορευόμενον βόσπορον, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτ’ ἄλλα πολλὰ τῶν πρὸς διατροφὴν χρησίμων· καὶ τούτων τὰ πολλὰ ὑπάρχει αὐτοφυῆ· οὐκ ὀλίγους δὲ καὶ ἄλλους ἐδωδίμους καρποὺς φέρει δυναμένους τρέφειν ζῷα, περὶ ὧν μακρὸν ἂν εἴη γράφειν. (8) Διὸ καί φασι μηδέποτε τὴν Ἰνδικὴν ἐπισχεῖν λιμὸν ἢ καθόλου σπάνιν τῶν πρὸς τροφὴν ἥμερον ἀνηκόντων. > In addition to cereals, there grows throughout India much millet, which is kept well watered by the profusion of river-streams, and much pulse of different sorts, and rice also, and what is called bosporum, as well as many other plants useful for food, of which most grow spontaneously. The soil yields, moreover, not a few other edible products fit for the subsistence of animals, about which it would be tedious to write. It is accordingly affirmed that famine has never visited India, and that there has never been a general scarcity in the supply of nourishing food. For, since there is a double rainfall in the course of each year, — one in the winter season, when the sowing of wheat takes place as in other countries, and the second at the time of the summer solstice, which is the proper season for sowing rice and bosporum, as well as sesamum and millet — the inhabitants of India almost always gather in two harvests annually; and even should one of the sowings prove more or less abortive they are always sure of the other crop. The fruits, moreover, of spontaneous growth, and the esculent roots which grow in marshy places and are of varied sweetness, afford abundant sustenance for man. The fact is, almost all the plains in the country have a moisture which is alike genial, whether it is derived from the rivers, or from the rains of the summer season, which are wont to fall every year at a stated period with surprising regularity; while the great heat which prevails . > — John Watson McCrindle 1877, Ancient India as Described by Megasthenês and Arrian ## Translations (2) - [Ancient India as Described by Megasthenês and Arrian](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.gr.hellenistic.megasthenes~en-mccrindle.1.p1) — John Watson McCrindle 1877, English - [Latin translation (Müller)](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.gr.hellenistic.megasthenes*fhg~la-muller.1.1) — Karl Müller, Latin --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/inf.gr.hellenistic.megasthenes.1.1-2](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.gr.hellenistic.megasthenes.1.1-2) · Pramāṇa