Age of the Nandas and Mauryas c9.s35.2

c9.s35.2

¹ Breloer has argued that Megasthenes must have applied the term *mesos* to the classes, and used *genos* only in the statement on endogamy, that Diodorus and Strabo kept up this distinction, while Arrian has caused confusion by applying the term 'genos' to the Seven classes. In other words, the rule regarding endogamy is a piece of family law that stands apart from the division of the population into seven classes. *ZDMG*, 1934, p. 137. But I hesitate to accept this ingenious argument. Breloer has also sought to show on the strength of Pliny, VI, 19 (22) sec 66 and Solinus 52, 9 that Megasthenes made up his seven classes from the five of Taxila polity mentioned by an earlier writer, most probably Onesicritus, and that Herodotus' classes of Egypt had little to do with it. *Ibid* pp. 147-64.