Age of the Nandas and Mauryas c9.s18.6

c9.s18.6

¹ McCrindle, *Megasthenes and Arrian*, p. 19. Diodorus, native of Sicily, was a contemporary of Julius Caesar: his *Bibliotheke* comprised 40 books, some of them no longer extant: book II., chh. 35–42 epitomise Megasthenes: bk. XVII gives an account of Alexander's invasion, and XVIII and XIX contain short notices of India:—all translated by McCrindle in his works. Arrian (A. D. 132) wrote the *Anabasis* and *Indika*, using the contemporary account of Alexander and the work of Megasthenes. Strabo came from Amasia in Asia Minor, *c.* 64 B.C.—19 A.D., His *Geography* is a very comprehensive work: Bk. XV, chh, 1 and 2 are devoted to India and Ariana respectively, and are translated by McCrindle in his *Ancient India as described in Classical Literature*. Strabo drew his material mostly from the contemporaries of Alexander and from Megasthenes. Pliny he Elder, 23–79 A.D., wrote a cyclopaedic *Natural History* in thirty-seven books: the sixth book contains his geography of India, based mainly on the *Indika* of Megasthenes, translated by McCrindle, ibid.