Ἰνδικά 35.1

35.1

Νενέμηνται δὲ οἱ πάντες Ἰνδοὶ ἐς ἑπτὰ μάλιστα γενεάς· ἐν μὲν αὐτοῖσιν οἱ σοφισταί εἰσι, πλήθεϊ μὲν μείους τῶν ἄλλων, δόξῃ δὲ καὶ τιμῇ γεραρώτατοι. (2) Οὔτε γάρ τι τῷ σώματι ἐργάζεσθαι ἀναγκαίη σφὶν προσκέεται, οὔτε τι ἀποφέρειν ἀπ’ ὅτου πονέουσιν ἐς τὸ κοινόν· οὐδέ τι ἄλλο ἀνάγκης ἁπλῶς ἐπεῖναι τοῖσι σοφιστῇσιν, ὅτι μὴ θύειν τὰς θυσίας τοῖσι θεοῖσιν ὑπὲρ τοῦ κοινοῦ τῶν Ἰνδῶν· (3) καὶ ὅστις δὲ ἰδίᾳ θύει, ἐξηγητὴς αὐτῷ τῆς θυσίης τῶν τις σοφιστέων τούτων γίνεται, ὡς οὐκ ἂν ἄλλως κεχαρισμένα τοῖς θεοῖσι θύσαντας. (4) Εἰσὶ δὲ καὶ μαντικῆς οὗτοι μοῦνοι Ἰνδῶν δαήμονες, οὐδὲ ἐφεῖται ἄλλῳ μαντεύεσθαι ὅτι μὴ σοφῷ ἀνδρί. (5) Μαντεύουσι δὲ ὅσα ὑπὲρ τῶν ὡρέων τοῦ ἔτεος καὶ εἴ τις ἐς τὸ κοινὸν συμφορὴ καταλαμβάνει· τὰ δὲ ἴδια ἑκάστοισιν οὔ σφιν μέλει μαντεύεσθαι, ἢ ὡς οὐκ ἐξικνεομένης τῆς μαντικῆς ἐς τὰ σμικρότερα, ἢ ὡς οὐκ ἄξιον ἐπὶ τούτοισι πονέεσθαι. (6) Ὅστις δὲ ἁμάρτοι ἐς τρὶς μαντευσάμενος, τούτῳ δὲ ἄλλο μὲν κακὸν γίνεσθαι οὐδὲν, σιωπᾶν δὲ εἶναι ἐπάναγκες τοῦ λοιποῦ· καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὅστις ἐξαναγκάσει τὸν ἄνδρα τοῦτον φωνῆσαι, ὅτου ἡ σιωπὴ κατακέκριται. (7) Οὗτοι γυμνοὶ διαιτῶνται οἱ σοφισταὶ, τοῦ μὲν χειμῶνος ὑπαίθριοι ἐν τῷ ἡλίῳ, τοῦ δὲ θέρεος ἐπὴν ὁ ἥλιος κατέχῃ, ἐν τοῖσι λειμῶσι καὶ τοῖσιν ἕλεσιν ὑπὸ δένδρεσι μεγάλοισιν· ὧν τὴν σκιὴν Νέαρχος λέγει ἐς πέντε πλέθρα ἐν κύκλῳ ἐξικνέεσθαι, καὶ ἂν καὶ μυρίους ἀνθρώπους ὑπὸ ἑνὶ δένδρεϊ σκιάζεσθαι· τηλικαῦτα εἶναι ταῦτα τὰ δένδρεα.

When it is said that an Indian by springing forward in front of a horse can check his speed and hold him back, this is not true of all Indians, but only of such as have been trained from boyhood to manage horses; for it is a practice with them to control their horses with bit and bridle, and to make them move at a measured pace and in a straight course. They neither, however, gall their tongue by the use of spiked muzzles, nor torture the roof of their mouth. The professional trainers break them in by forcing them to gallop round and round in a ring, especially when they see them refractory. Such as undertake this work require to have a strong hand as well as a thorough knowledge of horses. The greatest proficients test their skill by driving a chariot round and round in a ring; and in truth it would be no trifling feat to control with ease a team of four high-mettled steeds when whirling round in a circle. The chariot carries two men who sit beside the charioteer. The war-elephant, either in what is called the tower, or on his bare back in sooth, carries three fighting men, of whom two shoot from the side, while one shoots from behind. There is also a fourth man, who carries in his hand the goad wherewith he guides the animal, much in the same way as the pilot and captain of a ship direct its course with the helm.