Naturalis historia 7.28

7.28

Onesicritus, quibus locis Indiae umbrae non sint, corpora hominum cubitorum quinum et binorum palm orum existere, et vivere annos CXXX nec senescere, sed ut medio aevo mori. Crates Pergamenus Indos, qui centenos annos excedant, Gymnetas appellat, non pauci Macrobios . Ctesias gentem ex his, quae appelletur Pandae, in convallibus sitam annos ducenos vivere, in iuventa candido capillo,

According to Onesicritus, in those parts of India where there is no shadow, the bodies of men attain a height of five cubits and two palms, and their life is prolonged to one hundred and thirty years; they die without any symptoms of old age, and just as if they were in the middle period of life. Crates of Pergamus calls the Indians, whose age exceeds one hundred years, by the name of Gymnetæ; but not a few authors style them Macrobii. Ctesias mentions a tribe of them, known by the name of Pandore, whose locality is in the valleys, and who live to their two hundredth year; their hair is white in youth, and becomes black in old age. On the other hand, there are some people joining up to the country of the Macrobii, who never live beyond their fortieth year, and their females have children once only during their lives. This circumstance is also mentioned by Agatharchides, who states, in addition, that they live on locusts, and are very swift of foot. Clitarchus and Megasthenes give these people the name of Mandi, and enumerate as many as three hundred villages which belong to them. Their women are capable of bearing children in the seventh year of their age, and become old at forty.