Ἰνδικά 35.3

35.3

(3) Τὰ δὲ ὅπλα ἄλλοι αὐτοῖσι ποιέουσι, καὶ ἵππους ἄλλοι παρέχουσι· καὶ διακονέουσιν ἐπὶ στρατοπέδου ἄλλοι, οἳ τούς τε ἵππους αὐτοῖσι θεραπεύουσι καὶ τὰ ὅπλα ἐκκαθαίρουσι καὶ τοὺς ἐλέφαντας ἄγουσι καὶ τὰ ἅρματα κοσμέουσί τε καὶ ἡνιοχεύουσιν. (4) Αὐτοὶ δὲ, ἔστ’ ἂν μὲν πολεμέει δέῃ, πολεμέουσιν, εἰρήνης δὲ γενομένης εὐθυμέονται· καί σφιν μισθὸς ἐκ τοῦ κοινοῦ τοσόσδε ἔρχεται, ὡς καὶ ἄλλους τρέφειν ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ εὐμαρέως. 5. Ἕκτοι δέ εἰσιν Ἰνδοῖσιν οἱ ἐπίσκοποι καλεόμενοι. Οὗτοι ἐφορῶσι τὰ γινόμενα κατά τε τὴν χώρην καὶ κατὰ τὰς πόλιας· καὶ ταῦτα ἀναγγέλλουσι τῷ βασιλέ(??), ἵναπερ βασιλεύονται Ἰνδοὶ, ἢ τοῖσι τέλεσιν, ἵναπερ αὐτόνομοι εἰσί· καὶ τούτοισιν οὐ θέμις ψεῦδος ἀγγεῖλαι οὐδέν· οὐδέ τις Ἰνδῶν αἰτίην ἔσχε ψεύσασθαι. 6. Ἕβδομοι δέ εἰσιν οἱ ὑπὲρ τῶν κοινῶν βουλευόμενοι ὁμοῦ τῷ βασιλέϊ, ἢ κατὰ τὰς πόλιας ὅσαι αὐτόνομοι σὺν τῇσιν ἀρχῇσι. (7) Πλήθεϊ μὲν ὀλίγον τὸ γένος τοῦτό ἐστι, σοφίῃ δὲ καὶ δικαιότητι ἐκ πάντων προκεκριμένον· ἔνθεν οἵ τε ἄρχοντες αὐτοῖσιν ἐπιλέγονται καὶ ὅσοι νομάρχαι καὶ ὕπαρχοι καὶ θησαυροφύλακές τε καὶ στρατοφύλακες, ναύαρχοί τε καὶ ταμίαι, καὶ τῶν κατὰ γεωργίην ἔργων ἐπιστάται. 8. Γαμέειν δὲ ἐξ ἑτέρου γένεος οὐ θέμις, οἷον τοῖσι γεωργοῖσιν ἐκ τοῦ δημιουργικοῦ, ἢ ἔμπαλιν· οὐδὲ δύο τέχνας ἐπιτηδεύειν τὸν αὐτὸν, οὐδὲ τοῦτο θέμις· οὐδὲ ἀμείβειν ἐξ ἑτέρου γένεος εἰς ἕτερον, οἷον γεωργικὸν ἐκ νομέος γενέσθαι, ἢ νομέα ἐκ δημιουργικοῦ. (9) Μοῦνον σφίσιν ἀνεῖται σοφιστὴν ἐκ παντὸς γένεος γενέσθαι.

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.