The Classical Doctrine of Indian Medicine: Its Origins and its Greek Parallels c14.30

c14.30

Lastly Ktesias of Cnidus, who has narrated these facts, was for a long time the doctor of Artaxerxes II and is said to have ended his days in his own country. He has remained famous by the fragments of his writings preserved by Photius and one of which was specially devoted to India. This work is of little value, in so far as it has reached us, because it is full of fables, but its existence positively guarantees that which was rendered, *a priori*, probable by the state itself of the Achaemenian empire, that is to say, that information concerning India could reach the Greeks by the intermediary of Iran. If the information of Ktesias is fantastic, it does not follow that nothing serious could have been then brought from India. Ktesias is not a critical author—the fragments of his work on Persia prove this point—he is certainly responsible for having listened to fables. Besides, Photius has been able to choose in his work the most extraordinary allegations and leave aside data which were truer but less striking. It is not doubtful, however, that the functionaries of the satrapies of Gandhara and of Sindh could bring nothing but the marvellous to the Achaemenian Court.