Ἰνδικά 1.10-11

1.10

Τῆς δὲ χώρας μισθοὺς τελοῦσι τῷ βασιλεῖ διὰ τὸ πᾶσαν τὴν Ἰνδικὴν βασιλικὴν εἶναι, ἰδιώτῃ δὲ μηδενὶ γῆν ἐξεῖναι κεκτῆσθαι· χωρὶς δὲ τῆς μισθώσεως τετάρτην εἰς τὸ βασιλικὸν τελοῦσι. 34. Τρίτον δ’ ἐστὶ φῦλον τὸ τῶν βουκόλων καὶ ποιμένων καὶ καθόλου πάντων τῶν νομέων, οἳ πόλιν μὲν ἢ κώμην οὐκ οἰκοῦσι, σκηνίτῃ δὲ βίῳ χρῶνται· οἱ δ’ αὐτοὶ καὶ κυνηγοῦντες καθαρὰν ποιοῦσι τὴν χώραν ὀρνέων καὶ θηρίων· εἰς ταῦτα δὲ ἀσκοῦντες καὶ φιλοπονοῦντες ἐξημεροῦσι τὴν Ἰνδικὴν, πλήθουσαν πολλῶν καὶ παντοδαπῶν θηρίων τε καὶ ὀρνέων τῶν κατεσθιόντων τὰ σπέρματα τῶν γεωργῶν. XLI. 35. Τέταρτον δ’ ἐστὶ μέρος τὸ τῶν τεχνιτῶν· καὶ τούτων οἱ μέν εἰσιν ὑπλοποιοὶ, οἱ δὲ τοῖς γεωργοῖς ἤ τισιν ἄλλοις τὰ χρήσιμα πρὸς ὑπηρεσίαν κατασκευάζουσιν· οὗτοι δὲ οὐ μόνον ἀτελεῖς εἰσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ σιτομετρίαν ἐκ τοῦ βασιλικοῦ λαμβάνουσι. 36. Πέμπτον δὲ στρατιωτικὸν, εἰς τοὺς πολέμους εὐθετοῦν, τῷ μὲν πλήθει δεύτερον, ἀνέσει δὲ καὶ παιδιᾷ πλείστῃ χρώμενον ἐν ταῖς εἰρήναις. Τρέφεται δ’ ἐκ τοῦ βασιλικοῦ πᾶν τὸ πλῆθος τῶν στρατιωτῶν καὶ τῶν πολεμιστῶν ἵππων τε καὶ ἐλεφάντων. 37. Ἕκτον δ’ ἐστὶ τὸ τῶν ἐφόρων· οὗτοι δὲ πολυπραγμονοῦντες πάντα καὶ ἐφορῶντες τὰ κατὰ τὴν Ἰνδικὴν ἀπαγγέλλουσι τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν, ἐὰν δὲ ἡ πόλις αὐτῶν ἀβασίλευτος ᾖ, τοῖς ἄρχουσιν. 38.

(41.) The fourth caste consists of the Artizans. Of these some are armourers, while others make the implements which husbandmen and others find useful in their different callings. This class is not only exempted from paying taxes, but even receives maintenance from the royal exchequer. The fifth caste is the Military. It is well organized and equipped for war, holds the second place in point of numbers, and gives itself up to idleness and amusement in the times of peace. The entire force — men-at-arms, war-horses, war-elephants, and all — are maintained at the king's expense. The sixth caste consists of the Overseers. It is their province to inquire into and superintend all that goes on in India, and make report to the king, or, where there is not a king, to the magistrates. The seventh caste consists of the Councillors and Assessors, — of those who deliberate on public affairs. It is the smallest class, looking to number, but the most respected, on account of the high character and wisdom of its members; for from their ranks the advisers of the king are taken, and the treasurers of the state, and the arbiters who settle disputes. The generals of the army also, and the chief magistrates, usually belong to this class. Such, then, are about the parts into which the body politic in India is divided. No one is allowed to marry out of his own caste, or to exercise any calling or art except his own: for instance, a soldier cannot become a husbandman, or an artizan a philosopher.

The second caste consists of the Husbandmen, who appear to be far more numerous than the others. Being, moreover, exempted from fighting and other public services, they devote the whole of their time to tillage; nor would an enemy coming upon a husbandman at work on his land do him any harm, for men of this class, being regarded as public benefactors, are protected from all injury. The land, thus remaining unravaged, and producing heavy crops, supplies the inhabitants with all that is requisite to make life very enjoyable. The husbandmen themselves, with their wives and children, live in the country, and entirely avoid going into town. They pay a land-tribute to the king, because all India is the property of the crown, and no private person is permitted to own land. Besides the land-tribute, they pay into the royal treasury a fourth part of the produce of the soil. The third caste consists of the Neatherds and Shepherds, and in general of all herdsmen who neither settle in towns nor in villages, but live in tents. By hunting and trapping they clear the country of noxious birds and wild beasts. As they apply themselves eagerly and assiduously to this pursuit, they free India from the pests with which it abounds, — all sorts of wild beasts, and birds which devour the seeds sown by the husbandmen.

1.11

Ἕβδομον δ’ ἐστὶ μέρος τὸ βουλεῦον μὲν καὶ συνεδρεῦον τοῖς ὑπὲρ ὑπὲρ τῶν κοινῶν βουλευομένοις, πλήθει μὲν ἐλάχιστον, εὐγενείᾳ δὲ καὶ φρονήσει μαλιστα θαυμαζόμενον· ἐκ τούτων γὰρ οἵ τε σύμβουλοι τοῖς βασιλεῦσέν εἰσιν οἵ τε διοικηταὶ τῶν κοινῶν καὶ οἱ δικασταὶ τῶν ἀμφισβητουμένων, καὶ καθόλου τοὺς ἡγεμόνας καὶ τοὺς ἄρχοντας ἐκ τούτων ἔχουσι. 39. Τὰ μὲν οὖν μέρη τῆς διηρημένης πολιτείας παρ’ Ἰνδοῖς σχεδὸν ταὐτά ἐστιν. Οὐκ ἔξεστι δὲ γαμεῖν ἐξ ἄλλου γένους ἢ προαιρέσεις ἢ τέχνας μεταχειρίζεσθαι, οἷον στρατιώτην ὄντα γεωργεῖν ἢ τεχνίτην ὄντα φιλοσοφεῖν. XLII. 40. Ἔχει δ’ ἡ τῶν Ἰνδῶν χώρα πλείστους καὶ μεγίστους ἐλέφαντας, ἀλκῇ τε καὶ μεγέθει πολὺ διαφέροντας. Ὀχεύεται δὲ τοῦτο τὸ ζῷον οὐχ, ὥσπερ τινές φασιν, ἐξηλλαγμένως, ἀλλ’ ὁμοίως ἵπποις καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις τετραπόδοις ζῴοις· κύουσι δὲ τοὺς μὲν ἐλαχίστους μῆνας ἑκκαίδεκα, τοὺς δὲ πλείστους ὀκτωκαίδεκα. Τίκτουσι δὲ καθάπερ ἴπποι κατὰ τὸ πλεῖστον ἓν, καὶ τρέφουσι τὸ γεννηθὲν αἱ μητέρες ἐπ’ ἔτη ἑξ. Ζῶσι δ’ οἱ πλεῖστοι καθάπερ ὁ μακροβιώτατος ἄνθρωπος, οἱ δὲ μάλιστα γηράσαντες ἔτη διακόσια. 41. Εἰσὶ δὲ παρ’ Ἰνδοῖς καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ξένους ἄρχοντες τεταγμένοι καὶ φροντίζοντες ὅπως μηδεὶς ξένος ἀδικῆται· τοῖς δ’ ἀρρωστοῦσι τῶν ξένων ἰατροὺς εἰσάγουσι καὶ τὴν ἄλλην ἐπιμέλειαν ποιοῦνται, καὶ τελευτήσαντας θάπτουσιν, ἔτι δὲ τὰ καταλειφθέντα χρήματα τοῖς προσήκουσιν ἀποδιδόασιν. (42) Οἵ τε δικασταὶ τὰς κρίσεις παρ’ αὐτοῖς ἀκριβῶς διαγινώσκουσι, καὶ πικρῶς τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσι προσφέρονται.

(42.) India possesses a vast number of huge elephants, which far surpass those found elsewhere both in strength and size. This animal does not cover the female in a peculiar way, as some affirm, but like horses and other quadrupeds. The period of gestation is at shortest sixteen months, and at furthest eighteen. Like mares, they generally bring forth but one young one at a time, and this the dam suckles for six years. Most elephants live to be as old as an extremely old man, but the most aged live two hundred years. Among the Indians officers are appointed even for foreigners, whose duty is to see that no foreigner is wronged. Should any of them lose his health, they send physicians to attend him, and take care of him otherwise, and if he dies they bury him, and deliver over such property as he leaves to his relatives. The judges also decide cases in which foreigners are concerned, with the greatest care, and come down sharply on those who take unfair advantage of them. [What we have now said regarding India and its antiquities will suffice for our present purpose.] BOOK I.