Megasthenes' Indica: A New Translation of the Fragments with Commentary (Routledge Classical Translations)

This book provides a new translation of all the surviving portions of the description of India written by Megasthenes in about 310 BCE, the fullest account of Indian geography, history and customs available to the classical world. The __Indica__ was a pioneering work of ethnography that exemplified a new direction in Hellenistic writing; India was little-known to the Greeks before the expedition of Alexander the Great in 326–325 BCE, and Megasthenes, who resided as an ambassador in the Maurya capital Pataliputra for some time, provided the classical world with most of what it knew about India. Megasthenes’ book, which became a classic in antiquity, now survives only in fragments preserved in other Greek and Latin authors. Stoneman’s work offers a reliable and accessible version of all the writings that can plausibly be ascribed to Megasthenes. His subject ranges from detailed accounts of social structure and the royal household, to descriptions of elephant hunting and Indian philosophical ideas. His book is the only written source contemporary with the Maurya kingdom of Candragupta, since writing was not in use in India at this date. This translation provides a path to clearer understanding of Greek ethnography and a valuable resource on Indian history. The book will be of value not only to classical scholars with an interest in Hellenistic history and cultural attitudes, and to their students, but also to scholars working on the early history of India, who have had to rely (unless they are also Greek scholars) on scattered and dated collections of evidence. This book provides a new translation of all the surviving portions of the description of India written by Megasthenes in about 310 BCE, the fullest account of Indian geography, history and customs available to the classical world. The Indica was a pioneering work of ethnography that exemplified a new direction in Hellenistic writing; India was little-known to the Greeks before the expedition of Alexander the Great in 326–325 BCE, and Megasthenes, who resided as an ambassador in the Maurya capital Pataliputra for some time, provided the classical world with most of what it knew about India. Megasthenes’ book, which became a classic in antiquity, now survives only in fragments preserved in other Greek and Latin authors. Stoneman’s work offers a reliable and accessible version of all the writings that can plausibly be ascribed to Megasthenes. His subject ranges from detailed accounts of social structure and the royal household, to descriptions of elephant hunting and Indian philosophical ideas. His book is the only written source contemporary with the Maurya kingdom of Candragupta, since writing was not in use in India at this date. This translation provides a path to a clearer understanding of Greek ethnography and a valuable resource on Indian history. The book will be of value not only to classical scholars with an interest in Hellenistic history and cultural attitudes, and to their students, but also to scholars working on the early history of India, who have had to rely (unless they are also Greek scholars) on scattered and dated collections of evidence. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Series Page 3 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Contents 6 Preface 10 Abbreviations and conventions 12 Concordance of fragment numbers with the editions of Schwanbeck and Jacoby 14 Introduction: Life and work 16 The nature of Megasthenes’ book 20 The reliability of Megasthenes 23 The structure of Megasthenes’ book 26 What is a fragment? 31 Other writers on India 32 Herodotus of Halicarnassus and Ctesias of Cnidus 33 Onesicritus 34 Nearchus 35 Aristobulus 36 After Megasthenes 36 Eratosthenes 36 Maps 40 The fragments 42 Book I: Geography and resources 44 1. Summary of geography, history and society 44 2. The geography of India 48 3. The dimensions of India 49 4. The Himalayas (‘Caucasus’) 50 5. Controversy on the size of India 51 6. The size of India, again 51 7. The northern stars 51 8. Rivers 52 9. Megasthenes’ knowledge of India 53 10. The River Silas 53 11. The fertility of India 54 12. Dionysus and Heracles 54 13. Dionysus and Heracles as civilisers 56 14. Pandaea 59 15. Taprobane 60 16. The kartazon 62 17. Pearls 63 18. Trees that grow in the sea 63 19. Poisonous fish 64 20. Monkeys (and other animals) 64 21. Snakes 65 22. The hoopoe (and other birds) 65 23. The gold-guarding ants 69 24. The monstrous races 70 25. The reverse-feet 71 26. The Mouthless Ones and the Dog-heads 71 27. Plutarch on the Mouthless Ones 72 Book II: Political structures 73 28. The seven ‘castes’ 73 29. Funeral rites 75 30. Absence of slavery 76 31. Meals 76 32. Cities 76 33. Palibothra (Pataliputra) 76 34. City officials 77 35. Laws and customs 78 36. Loans and punishments 79 37. Elephants 79 38. Horsecraft 82 39. Elephant ethics 83 Book III: The Indian philosophers 84 40. The philosophers 84 41. Calanus and suicide 86 42. Calanus and Dandamis 87 43. The Brahmans 87 44. Strabo on Indian religion and philosophy 87 45. Brahman austerity 88 46. Brahmans and Jews 89 Appendix 90 (a) Other accounts of the philosophers 90 (b) Pliny’s account of India 93 Commentary 98 Commentary on Book I: Geography and resources 100 1. Summary of geography, history and society 100 2. The geography of India 103 3. The dimensions of India 104 4. The Himalayas (‘Caucasus’) 105 5. Controversy on the size of India 106 6. The size of India, again 106 7. The northern stars 106 8. Rivers 107 9. Megasthenes’ knowledge of India 108 10. The River Silas 108 11. The fertility of India 109 12. Dionysus and Heracles 110 13. Dionysus and Heracles as civilisers 111 14. Pandaea 115 15. Taprobane 115 16. The kartazon 118 17. (a and b) Pearls 118 18. Trees that grow in the sea 119 19. Poisonous fish 119 20. Monkeys (and other animals) 119 21. Snakes 120 22. The hoopoe (and other birds) 120 23. The gold-guarding ants 122 24. The monstrous races 123 25. The reverse-feet 125 26. The Mouthless Ones and the Dog-heads 126 27. Plutarch on the Mouthless Ones 127 Commentary on Book II: Political structures 128 28. (a and b) The seven ‘castes’ 128 29. Funeral rites 129 30. Absence of slavery 129 31. Meals 131 32. Cities 131 33. Palibothra (Pataliputra) 132 34. City officials 134 35. Laws and customs 135 36. Loans and punishments 139 37. Elephants 139 38. Horsecraft 141 39. Elephant ethics 141 Commentary on Book III: The philosophers 142 40. The philosophers 142 41. Calanus and suicide 147 42. Calanus and Dandamis 149 43. The Brahmans 149 44. Strabo on Indian religion and philosophy 150 45. Brahman austerity 150 46. Brahmans and Jews 151 Commentary on appendix 152 Pliny’s Indian tribes (NH 6.56–80) 155 Bibliography 160 Index 168 Nearchus;,Eratosthenes;,Geography;,Taprobane Nearchus,Eratosthenes,Geography,Taprobane "This book provides a new translation of all the surviving portions of the description of India written by Megasthenes in about 310 BCE, the fullest account of Indian geography, history and customs available to the classical world. Megasthenes' book, which became a classic in antiquity, now survives only in fragments preserved in other Greek and Latin authors. Stoneman's work offers a reliable and accessible version of all the writings that can plausibly be ascribed to Megasthenes. It was a pioneering work of ethnography that exemplified a new direction in Hellenistic writing. India was little known to the Greeks before the expedition of Alexander the Great in 326-5 BCE. Megasthenes, who resided as an ambassador in the Maurya capital Pataliputra for some time, provided the classical world with most of what it knew about India. His subject ranges from detailed accounts of social structure and the royal household, to descriptions of elephant hunting and Indian philosophical ideas. His book is the only written source contemporary with the Maurya kingdom of Candragupta, since writing was not in use in India at this date. This translation provides a path to clearer understanding of Greek ethnography, and a valuable resource on Indian history. The book will be of value not only to classical scholars with an interest in Hellenistic history and cultural attitudes, and to their students, but also to scholars working on the early history of India, who have had to rely (unless they are also Greek scholars) on scattered and dated collections of the evidence"-- Provided by publisher "This book provides a new translation of all the surviving portions of the description of India written by Megasthenes in about 310 BCE, the fullest account of Indian geography, history and customs available to the classical world. Megasthenes' book, which became a classic in antiquity, now survives only in fragments preserved in other Greek and Latin authors. Stoneman's work offers a reliable and accessible version of all the writings that can plausibly be ascribed to Megasthenes. It was a pioneering work of ethnography that exemplified a new direction in Hellenistic writing. India was little known to the Greeks before the expedition of Alexander the Great in 326-5 BCE. Megasthenes, who resided as an ambassador in the Maurya capital Pataliputra for some time, provided the classical world with most of what it knew about India. His subject ranges from detailed accounts of social structure and the royal household, to descriptions of elephant hunting and Indian philosophical ideas. His book is the only written source contemporary with the Maurya kingdom of Candragupta, since writing was not in use in India at this date. This translation provides a path to clearer understanding of Greek ethnography, and a valuable resource on Indian history. The book will be of value not only to classical scholars with an interest in Hellenistic history and cultural attitudes, and to their students, but also to scholars working on the early history of India, who have had to rely (unless they are also Greek scholars) on scattered and dated collections of the evidence"-- Fourni par l'éditeur