Ἰνδική 17.3

17.3

αἱ γυναῖκες δὲ αὐτοῖσιν, ὅσαι κάρτα σώφρονες, ἐπὶ μὲν ἄλλῳ μισθῷ οὐκ ἄν τι διαμάρτοιεν, ἐλέφαντα δὲ λαβοῦσα γυνὴ μίσγεται τῷ δόντι· οὐδὲ αἰσχρὸν Ἰνδοὶ ἄγουσι τὸ ἐπὶ ἐλέφαντι μιγῆναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ σεμνὸν δοκέει τῇσι γυναιξὶν ἀξίην τὸ κάλλος φανῆναι ἐλέφαντος.

XVII. The Indians are in person slender and tall, and of much lighter weight than other men.
The animals used by the common sort for riding on are camels and horses and asses, while the wealthy use elephants, — for it is the elephant which in India carries royalty. The conveyance which ranks next in honour is the chariot and four; the camel ranks third; while to be drawn by a single horse is considered no distinction at all. But Indian women, if possessed of uncommon discretion, would not stray from virtue for any reward short of an elephant, but on receiving this a lady lets the giver enjoy her person. Nor do the Indians consider it any disgrace to a woman to grant her favours for an elephant, but it is rather regarded as a high compliment to the sex that their charms should be deemed worth an elephant. They marry without either giving or taking dowries, but the women, as soon as they are marriageable, are brought forward by their fathers and exposed in public, to be selected by the victor in wrestling or boxing or running, or by some one who excels in any other manly exercise. The people of India live upon grain, and are tillers of the soil; but we must except the hillmen, who eat the flesh of beasts of chase.
It is sufficient for me to have set forth these facts regarding the Indians, which, as the best known, both Nearchos and Megasthenes, two men of approved character, have recorded. And since my design in drawing up the present narrative was not to describe the manners and customs of the Indians, but to relate how Alexander conveyed his army from India to Persia, let this be taken as a mere episode.