The Greeks in Bactria and India c26.6

c26.6

Strabo 11, 73. A comparison with 11, 509 shows both that this is from Patrocles and that it is not Eratosthenes’ version of Patrocles; it may therefore be taken to be what Patrocles said himself. The literal translation is: ‘The Oxus is sufficiently navigable for the Indian trade to be carried across to it and to be easily brought down the river to the Hyrcanian (sea)⁴ and the places beyond as far as the Black Sea by way of the rivers', *i.e.* the Cyrus and the Phasis. This sober statement is part of Patrocles' report to Antiochus I, and in Greek, as in English, it can mean two things: (1) that the Indian trade was being brought down the Oxus to the Caspian and beyond, and (2) that it was not being so brought but easily could be. The word 'easily' shows that (2) is the real meaning of Patrocles' report; he told Antiochus that it would be easy to make a trade route. Be it remembered that, when he was exploring the Caspian, he had taken the mouth of the Atrek for that of the Oxus¹ and had therefore supposed that the Oxus entered that sea.