Γεωγραφικα 15.1.12

15.1.12

Ἐκ δὲ τούτων πάρεστιν ὁρᾶν ὅσον διαφέρουσιν αἱ τῶν ἄλλων ἀποφάσεις, Κτησίου μὲν οὐκ ἐλάττω τῆς ἄλλης Ἀσίας τὴν Ἰνδικὴν λέγοντος, Ὀνησικρίτου δὲ τρίτον μέρος τῆς οἰκουμένης, Νεάρχου δὲ μηνῶν ὁδὸν τεττάρων τὴν διὰ τοῦ πεδίου, Μεγασθένους δὲ καὶ Δηιμάχου μετριασάντων μᾶλλον· ὑπὲρ γὰρ δισμυρίους τιθέασι σταδίους τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς νοτίου θαλάττης ἐπὶ τὸν Καύκασον, Δηίμαχος δʼ ὑπὲρ τοὺς τρισμυρίους κατʼ ἐνίους τόπους· πρὸς οὓς ἐν τοῖς πρώτοις λόγοις εἴρηται, νῦν δὲ τοσοῦτον εἰπεῖν ἱκανόν, ὅτι καὶ ταῦτα συνηγορεῖ τοῖς αἰτουμένοις συγγνώμην, ἐάν τι περὶ τῶν Ἰνδικῶν λέγοντες μὴ διισχυρίζωνται.

From what has been said, we may perceive how the opinions of the other writers differ from one another. Ctesias says that India is not less than the rest of Asia; Onesicritus regards it as the third part of the habitable world; Nearchus says that it is a march of four months through the plain only. The computations of Megasthenes and Deïmachus are more moderate, for they estimate the distance from the Southern Sea to Caucasus at above 20,000 stadia. Deïmachus says that in some places it exceeds 30,000 stadia.
We have replied to these writers in the early part of this work. At present it is sufficient to say that these opinions are in favour of the writers who, in describing India, solicit indulgence if they do not advance anything with confidence.