Ἰνδικά 35.2

35.2

(8) Σιτέονται δὲ ὡραῖα καὶ τὸν φλοιὸν τῶν δένδρεων, γλυκύν τε ὄντα τὸν φλοιὸν καὶ τρόφιμον οὐ μεῖον ἤπερ αἱ βάλανοι τῶν φοινίκων. 9. Δεύτεροι δ’ ἐπὶ τούτοισιν οἱ γεωργοί εἰσιν· οὗτοι πλήθεϊ πλεῖστοι Ἰνδῶν ἐόντες· καὶ τούτοισιν οὔτε ὅπλα ἐστὶν ἀρήια οὔτε μέλει τὰ πολέμια ἔργα, ἀλλὰ τὴν χώρην οὗτοι ἐργάζονται· καὶ τοὺς φόρους τοῖσι τε βασιλεῦσι καὶ τῇσι πόλισιν, ὅσαι αὐτόνομοι, οὗτοι ἀποφέρουσι· (10) καὶ εἰ πόλεμος ἐς ἀλλήλους τοῖσιν Ἰνδοῖσι τύχοι, τῶν ἐργαζομένων τὴν γῆν οὐ θέμις σφὶν ἅπτεσθαι, οὐδὲ αὐτὴν τὴν γῆν τάμνειν· ἀλλὰ οἱ μὲν πολεμέουσι καὶ κατακαίνουσιν ἀλλήλους ὅπως τύχοιεν, οἱ δὲ πλησίον αὐτῶν κατ’ ἡσυχίην ἀροῦσιν ἢ τρυγῶσιν ἢ κλαδοῦσιν ἢ θερίζουσιν. 11. Τρίτοι δέ εἰσιν Ἰνδοῖσιν οἱ νομέες, οἱ ποιμένες τε καὶ βουκόλοι, καὶ οὗτοι οὔτε κατὰ πόλιας οὔτε ἐν τῇσι κώμῃσιν οἰκέουσι. Νομάδες τέ εἰσι καὶ ἀνὰ τὰ οὔρεα βιοτεύουσι· φόρον δὲ καὶ οὗτοι ἀπὸ τῶν κτηνέων ἀποφέρουσι· καὶ θηρεύουσιν οὗτοι ἀνὰ τὴν χώρην ὄρνιθάς τε καὶ ἄγρια θηρία. Cap. XII. Τέταρτον δὲ ἐστι τὸ δημιουργικόν τε καὶ καπηλικὸν γένος. Καὶ οὗτοι λειτουργοί εἰσι, καὶ φόρον ἀποφέρουσιν ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων τῶν σφετέρων, πλήν γε δὴ ὅσοι τὰ ἀρήια ὅπλα ποιέουσιν· οὗτοι δὲ καὶ μισθὸν ἐκ τε ναυπηγοὶ καὶ οἱ ναῦταί εἰσιν, ὅσοι κατὰ τοὺς ποταμοὺς πλώουσι. 2. Πέμπτον δὲ γένος ἐστὶν Ἰνδοῖσιν οἱ πολεμισταὶ, πλήθεϊ μὲν δεύτερον μετὰ τοὺς γεωργοὺς, πλείστῃ δὲ ἐλευθερίῃ τε καὶ εὐθυμίῃ ἐπιχρεόμενον· καὶ οὗτοι ἀσκηταὶ μούνων τῶν πολεμικῶν ἔργων εἰσί.

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.