The Greeks in Bactria and India c12.115

c12.115

There is no reason to doubt Arrian’s story² that Alexander in India really did meet and converse with certain recluses (though imperfectly, since at least two interpreters were needed);¹ for Calanus is historical enough, whatever his real name was, and the fact that he did accompany Alexander shows that some sort of meeting took place. The meeting to which Arrian here refers is that near Taxila, afterwards worked up by Megasthenes,² at which Calanus was present; Arrian subsequently relates it again from Megasthenes as though it were a different one. The incident caught the imagination of more people than Megasthenes, and, like various other things, developed after Alexander was dead. Onesicritus indeed put out a story³ that Alexander had not talked to the men himself but had sent him to do it; but he could do no better than make one of his Indians give the ordinary Greek account of the Golden Age and the other talk a few Cynic commonplaces, and his version never exercised any influence.