[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Foreign](https://indike.org/pramana/inf) › [Greek](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.gr) › [Roman Imperial (31 BCE – 330 CE)](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.gr.roman) › [Γεωγραφικά](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.gr.roman.strabo) › 15.1.73 # Γεωγραφικά 15.1.73 Γεωγραφικά 15.1.73 - **Language:** Ancient Greek ### [15.1.73](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.gr.roman.strabo.15.1.73) φησὶ γὰρ οὗτος ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ τῇ ἐπὶ Δάφνῃ παρατυχεῖν τοῖς Ἰνδῶν πρέσβεσιν ἀφιγμένοις παρὰ Καίσαρα τὸν Σεβαστόν· οὓς ἐκ μὲν τῆς ἐπιστολῆς πλείους δηλοῦσθαι, σωθῆναι δὲ τρεῖς μόνους, οὓς ἰδεῖν φησι, τοὺς δʼ ἄλλους ὑπὸ μήκους τῶν ὁδῶν διαφθαρῆναι τὸ πλέον· τὴν δʼ ἐπιστολὴν ἑλληνίζειν ἐν διφθέρᾳ γεγραμμένην, δηλοῦσαν ὅτι Πῶρος εἴη ὁ γράψας, ἑξακοσίων δὲ ἄρχων βασιλέων ὅμως περὶ πολλοῦ ποιοῖτο φίλος εἶναι Καίσαρι, καὶ ἕτοιμος εἴη δίοδόν τε παρέχειν ὅπῃ βούλεται καὶ συμπράττειν ὅσα καλῶς ἔχει. ταῦτα μὲν ἔφη λέγειν τὴν ἐπιστολήν, τὰ δὲ κομισθέντα δῶρα προσενεγκεῖν ὀκτὼ οἰκέτας γυμνούς, ἐν περιζώμασι καταπεπασμένους ἀρώμασιν· εἶναι δὲ τὰ δῶρα τόν τε ἑρμᾶν, ἀπὸ τῶν ὤμων ἀφῃρημένον ἐκ νηπίου τοὺς βραχίονας, ὃν καὶ ἡμεῖς εἴδομεν, καὶ ἐχίδνας μεγάλας καὶ ὄφιν πηχῶν δέκα καὶ χελώνην ποταμίαν τρίπηχυν πέρδικά τε μείζω γυπός. συνῆν δέ, ὥς φησι, καὶ ὁ Ἀθήνησι κατακαύσας ἑαυτόν· ποιεῖν δὲ τοῦτο τοὺς μὲν ἐπὶ κακοπραγίᾳ ζητοῦντας ἀπαλλαγὴν τῶν παρόντων, τοὺς δʼ ἐπʼ εὐπραγίᾳ, καθάπερ τοῦτον· ἅπαντα γὰρ κατὰ γνώμην πράξαντα μέχρι νῦν ἀπιέναι δεῖν, μή τι τῶν ἀβουλήτων χρονίζοντι συμπέσοι· καὶ δὴ καὶ γελῶντα ἁλέσθαι γυμνὸν λίπʼ ἀληλιμμένον ἐν περιζώματι ἐπὶ τὴν πυράν· ἐπιγεγράφθαι δὲ τῷ τάφῳ Ζαρμανοχηγὰς Ἰνδὸς ἀπὸ Βαργόσης κατὰ τὰ πάτρια Ἰνδῶν ἔθη ἑαυτὸν ἀπαθανατίσας κεῖται. > This writer states that at Antioch, near Daphne, he met with ambassadors from the Indians, who were sent to Augustus Caesar. It appeared from the letter that several persons were mentioned in it, but three only survived, whom he says he saw. The rest had died chiefly in consequence of the length of the journey. The letter was written in Greek upon a skin; the import of it was, that Porus was the writer, that although he was sovereign of six hundred kings, yet that he highly esteemed the friendship of Caesar; that he was willing to allow him a passage through his country, in whatever part he pleased, and to assist him in any undertaking that was just. > Eight naked servants, with girdles round their waists, and fragrant with perfumes, presented the gifts which were brought. The presents were a Hermes (i. e. a man) born without arms, whom I have seen, large snakes, a serpent ten cubits in length, a river tortoise of three cubits in length, and a partridge (?) larger than a vulture. They were accompanied by the person, it is said, who burnt himself to death at Athens. This is the practice with persons in distress, who seek escape from existing calamities, and with others in prosperous circumstances, as was the case with this man. For as everything hitherto had succeeded with him, he thought it necessary to depart, lest some unexpected calamity should happen to him by continuing to live; with a smile, therefore, naked, anointed, and with the girdle round his waist, he leaped upon the pyre. On his tomb was this inscription,—ZARMANOCHEGAS, AN INDIAN, A NATIVE OF BARGOSA, HAVING IMMORTALIZED HIMSELF ACCORDING TO THE CUSTOM OF HIS COUNTRY, HERE LIES. > — Hans Claude Hamilton & William Falconer 1854, The Geography of Strabo - [Previous: 15.1.72](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.gr.roman.strabo.15.1.72) - [Next: 15.2.1](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.gr.roman.strabo.15.2.1) - [Up: 15.1](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.gr.roman.strabo.15.1) ## Translations (2) - [The Geography of Strabo](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.gr.roman.strabo~en-hamilton-falconer.15.1.73) — Hans Claude Hamilton & William Falconer 1854, English - [Ancient India as Described in Classical Literature (Strabo, book 15)](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.gr.roman.strabo~en-mccrindle.15.1.73) — John Watson McCrindle 1901, English ## Linked texts (1) - [Ἱστορίαι / Παραδόξων ἐθῶν συναγωγή](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.gr.roman.nicolaus) — Νικόλαος ὁ Δαμασκηνός, Ancient Greek --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/inf.gr.roman.strabo.15.1.73](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.gr.roman.strabo.15.1.73) · Pramāṇa