Ancient India as described by Megasthenês and Arrian / being a translation of the fragments of the Indika of Megasthenês collected by Dr. Schwanbeck, and of the first part of the Indika of Arrian, by J.W. McCrindle ; with introduction, notes, and map of ancient India.

  • Megasthenes
Date:
1877
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Ancient India as described by Megasthenês and Arrian / being a translation of the fragments of the Indika of Megasthenês collected by Dr. Schwanbeck, and of the first part of the Indika of Arrian, by J.W. McCrindle ; with introduction, notes, and map of ancient India. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    sprung up between the two kings. If, therefore, we make the reign of Saudrokottos extend to the year 288, Megasthenes would have set out for Palimbothra between 302 and 288. Clinton (F. H. vol. III. p. 182) thinks he came to the Indian king a little before b.c. 302.’’ While the date of the visit of Megasthenes to India is thus uncertain, there is less doubt as to what were the parts of the country which he saw ; and on this point Schwanbeck thus writes (p. 21):— “ Both from what he himself says, and because he has enumerated more accurately than any of the companions of Alexander, or any other Greek, the rivers of Kabul and the Panjab, it is clear that he had passed through these countries. Then, again, we know that he reached Pataliputra by travelling along the royal road. But he does not appear to have seen more of India than those parts of it, and he acknowledges himself that he knew the lower part of the country traversed by the Ganges only by hearsay and report. It is commonly supposed that he also spent some time in the Indian camp, and therefore in some part of the country, but where cannot now be known. This opinion, however, is based on a cor- rupt reading which the editions of Strabo exhibit. For in all the MSS. of Strabo (p. 709) is found this reading :—Teuopevovs d’ouu \v tm '^nvhpoKorrov arparoncdo) 6 Mcyaadevijs, TerrapciKovra pvpui- dcov rrXqdnvs idpvpeuov, pi]8epiav rjpepav idelu dvrjvey- peva KXtppara ttX^lovcov i) di(ikocticov dpa^pdou d^ia. * Megasthenes says that those who were in the camp of Saudrokottos saw,5 &c. From this trans- lation that given by Guarini and Gregorio alone