Megasthenes (/mɪˈɡæsθɪniːz/mi-GAS-thi-neez; Ancient Greek: Μεγασθένης, c. 350 BCE– c. 290 BCE) was an ancient Greek historian, diplomat and Indianethnographer and explorer in the Hellenistic period. He described India in his book Indica, which is now lost, but has been partially reconstructed from literary fragments found in later authors that quoted his work. Megasthenes was the first person from the Western world to leave a written description of India.[2]
While Megasthenes's account of India has survived in the later works, little is known about him as a person. He spent time at the court of Sibyrtius, who was a satrap of Arachosia under Antigonus I and then Seleucus I.[3] Megasthenes was then an ambassador for Seleucid king Seleucus I Nicator and to the court of the Mauryan Emperor Chandragupta Maurya in Pataliputra (modern Patna). Dating for his journey to the Mauryan court is uncertain; Seleucus I reigned from 305 to 281 BCE for the loose range of years that Megasthenes' mission might have begun.[4][5]
Megasthenes visited Pataliputra[11] sometime during the reign of Chandragupta Maurya but it is not certain which other parts of India he visited.[11] He appears to have passed through the Punjab region in north-western India, as he provides a detailed account of the rivers in this area. He must have then traveled to Pataliputra along the Yamuna and the Ganga rivers.[12] The exact dates of his visit to India, and the duration of his stay in India are not certain. The dates of Megasthenes' visit or visits to India is uncertain and disputed among scholars. A.B. Bosworth argued for an early date pre-Seleucus.[13] This is contested by Stoneman and others who argue for a date following the Mauryan-Seleucid settlement of c. 303 BCE.[14]Arrian claims that Megasthenes met Porus; this implies that Megasthenes accompanied Alexander the Great during the Macedonian invasion of India.[12]
He then compiled information about India in the form of Indica, a document which is now a lost work. It partially survives in form of quotations by later writers.
Other Greek envoys to the Indian court are known after Megasthenes: Deimachus as ambassador to Bindusara, and Dionysius, as ambassador to Ashoka.[15]
Assessment
Among the ancient writers, Arrian (2nd century CE) is the only one who speaks favorably of Megasthenes. Diodorus (1st century BCE) quotes Megasthenes while omitting some parts of his narratives. Other writers explicitly criticize Megasthenes:[16]
Eratosthenes (2nd century BCE) accuses Megasthenes of engaging in falsehood, although he apparently borrowed much of his content about India from Megasthenes.[16]
Strabo (1st century CE) calls Megasthenes a liar for writing fabulous stories about India; he also brands as liars the other earlier writers on India, including Deimachus, Onesicritus, Nearchus.[16] According to Strabo, "no faith whatever can be placed in Deimachos and Megasthenes".[17]
Pliny the Elder (1st century CE) criticizes Megasthenes's description of the fabulous races of India, and his account of Herakles and Dionysus.[16]
Modern scholars such as E. A. Schwanbeck, B. C. J. Timmer, and Truesdell Sparhawk Brown, have characterized Megasthenes as a generally reliable source of Indian history.[11] Schwanbeck finds faults only with Megasthenes's description of the gods worshipped in India.[18] Brown is more critical of Megasthenes, but notes that Megasthenes visited only a small part of India, and must have relied on others for his observations: some of these observations seem to be erroneous, but others cannot be ignored by modern researchers.[17] Thus, although he was often misled by the erroneous information provided by others, his work remained the principal source of information about India to subsequent writers.[5]
^ abTraver, Andrew G. (2002). From Polis to Empire, the Ancient World, C. 800 B.C.-A.D. 500: A Biographical Dictionary. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 252. ISBN978-0-313-30942-7.
^A.B Bosworth, The Historical Setting of Megasthenes, Indica, CPh. 91, 1996, 113-27
^Stoneman, R., The Greek Experience of India, 130-135
^Thomas C. Mcevilley (2012). The Shape of Ancient Thought: Comparative Studies in Greek and Indian Philosophies. Allworth. p. 538. ISBN978-1-58115-933-2. Three Greek ambassadors are known by name: Megasthenes, ambassador to Chandragupta; Deimachus, ambassador to Chandragupta's son Bindusara; and Dyonisius, whom Ptolemy Philadelphus sent to the court of Ashoka, Bindusara's son
U. P. Arora (1982), "Plagiarism and prejudices in Megasthenes's Indica", Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, Indian History Congress, 43: 171–180, JSTOR 44141228
Kosmin, Paul J. (2013). "Apologetic Ethnography: Megasthenes' Indica and the Seleucid Elephant". In Eran Almagor, Joseph Skinner (ed.). Ancient Ethnography: New Approaches. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN9781472537607.
Further reading
Harry Falk (1982). Die sieben "Kasten" des Megasthenes (in German).
Shri Ram Goyal (2001). India as Known to Kauṭilya and Megasthenes. Kusumanjali Book World.
"How the Hoopoe Got His Crest: Reflections on Megasthenes’ Stories of India." In Ancient Historiography on War and Empire, edited by Stoneman Richard, Howe Timothy, and Müller Sabine, 188–99. Oxford; Philadelphia: Oxbow Books, 2017. www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1kw2b3r.17.
External links
Wikisource has original works by or about: Megasthenes
, as reconstructed from later accounts
based on accounts by Megasthenes
March 20, 2023
megasthenes, neez, ancient, greek, Μεγασθένης, ancient, greek, historian, diplomat, indian, ethnographer, explorer, hellenistic, period, described, india, book, indica, which, lost, been, partially, reconstructed, from, literary, fragments, found, later, autho. Megasthenes m ɪ ˈ ɡ ae s 8 ɪ n iː z mi GAS thi neez Ancient Greek Megas8enhs c 350 BCE c 290 BCE was an ancient Greek historian diplomat and Indian ethnographer and explorer in the Hellenistic period He described India in his book Indica which is now lost but has been partially reconstructed from literary fragments found in later authors that quoted his work Megasthenes was the first person from the Western world to leave a written description of India 2 MegasthenesBornUnknown c 350 BCE 1 DiedUnknown c 290 BCE NationalityGreekOccupation s Historian and diplomatKnown forIndika a book on ancient India Contents 1 Biography 1 1 As ambassador 2 Assessment 3 See also 4 References 4 1 Bibliography 5 Further reading 6 External linksBiography EditWhile Megasthenes s account of India has survived in the later works little is known about him as a person He spent time at the court of Sibyrtius who was a satrap of Arachosia under Antigonus I and then Seleucus I 3 Megasthenes was then an ambassador for Seleucid king Seleucus I Nicator and to the court of the Mauryan Emperor Chandragupta Maurya in Pataliputra modern Patna Dating for his journey to the Mauryan court is uncertain Seleucus I reigned from 305 to 281 BCE for the loose range of years that Megasthenes mission might have begun 4 5 As ambassador Edit According to Arrian Megasthenes lived in Arachosia and travelled to Pataliputra 6 7 8 9 Megasthenes was a Greek ambassador of Seleucus I Nicator in the court of Chandragupta Maurya 7 Arrian explains that Megasthenes lived in Arachosia with the satrap Sibyrtius from where he visited India 6 7 9 Megasthenes lived with Sibyrtius satrap of Arachosia and often speaks of his visiting Sandracottus the king of the Indians Arrian Anabasis Alexandri 10 Megasthenes visited Pataliputra 11 sometime during the reign of Chandragupta Maurya but it is not certain which other parts of India he visited 11 He appears to have passed through the Punjab region in north western India as he provides a detailed account of the rivers in this area He must have then traveled to Pataliputra along the Yamuna and the Ganga rivers 12 The exact dates of his visit to India and the duration of his stay in India are not certain The dates of Megasthenes visit or visits to India is uncertain and disputed among scholars A B Bosworth argued for an early date pre Seleucus 13 This is contested by Stoneman and others who argue for a date following the Mauryan Seleucid settlement of c 303 BCE 14 Arrian claims that Megasthenes met Porus this implies that Megasthenes accompanied Alexander the Great during the Macedonian invasion of India 12 He then compiled information about India in the form of Indica a document which is now a lost work It partially survives in form of quotations by later writers Other Greek envoys to the Indian court are known after Megasthenes Deimachus as ambassador to Bindusara and Dionysius as ambassador to Ashoka 15 Assessment EditAmong the ancient writers Arrian 2nd century CE is the only one who speaks favorably of Megasthenes Diodorus 1st century BCE quotes Megasthenes while omitting some parts of his narratives Other writers explicitly criticize Megasthenes 16 Eratosthenes 2nd century BCE accuses Megasthenes of engaging in falsehood although he apparently borrowed much of his content about India from Megasthenes 16 Strabo 1st century CE calls Megasthenes a liar for writing fabulous stories about India he also brands as liars the other earlier writers on India including Deimachus Onesicritus Nearchus 16 According to Strabo no faith whatever can be placed in Deimachos and Megasthenes 17 Pliny the Elder 1st century CE criticizes Megasthenes s description of the fabulous races of India and his account of Herakles and Dionysus 16 Modern scholars such as E A Schwanbeck B C J Timmer and Truesdell Sparhawk Brown have characterized Megasthenes as a generally reliable source of Indian history 11 Schwanbeck finds faults only with Megasthenes s description of the gods worshipped in India 18 Brown is more critical of Megasthenes but notes that Megasthenes visited only a small part of India and must have relied on others for his observations some of these observations seem to be erroneous but others cannot be ignored by modern researchers 17 Thus although he was often misled by the erroneous information provided by others his work remained the principal source of information about India to subsequent writers 5 See also EditMegasthenes Herakles Herodotus Patrocles DemodamasReferences Edit Megasthenes Brittanica Patel Aakar 8 August 2020 Hercules lived here Megasthenes s Indika The Hindu Stoneman R The Greek Experience of India Princeton 2019 p129 Roller Duane W Megasthenes 715 in Brill s New Jacoby General Editor Ian Worthington Macquarie University First published online 2016 a b N S Kalota 1978 p 26 a b Traver Andrew G 2002 From Polis to Empire the Ancient World C 800 B C A D 500 A Biographical Dictionary Greenwood Publishing Group p 252 ISBN 978 0 313 30942 7 a b c Kosmin 2014 p 38 Shepherd William R 1926 The Historical Atlas Mediaeval Commerce Asia a b Heirman Ann Bumbacher Stephan Peter 2007 The Spread of Buddhism BRILL p 135 ISBN 978 90 04 15830 6 Arrian Book 5 Anabasis a b c Allan Dahlaquist 1996 p 9 a b N S Kalota 1978 p 29 A B Bosworth The Historical Setting of Megasthenes Indica CPh 91 1996 113 27 Stoneman R The Greek Experience of India 130 135 Thomas C Mcevilley 2012 The Shape of Ancient Thought Comparative Studies in Greek and Indian Philosophies Allworth p 538 ISBN 978 1 58115 933 2 Three Greek ambassadors are known by name Megasthenes ambassador to Chandragupta Deimachus ambassador to Chandragupta s son Bindusara and Dyonisius whom Ptolemy Philadelphus sent to the court of Ashoka Bindusara s son a b c d N S Kalota 1978 p 27 a b Allan Dahlaquist 1996 p 27 Allan Dahlaquist 1996 p 29 Bibliography Edit Allan Dahlaquist 1996 Megasthenes and Indian Religion A Study in Motives and Types Motilal Banarsidass ISBN 978 81 208 1323 6 N S Kalota 1978 India as Described by Megasthenes Concept Kosmin Paul J 2014 The Land of the Elephant Kings Space Territory and Ideology in Seleucid Empire Harvard University Press ISBN 978 0 674 72882 0 U P Arora 1982 Plagiarism and prejudices in Megasthenes s Indica Proceedings of the Indian History Congress Indian History Congress 43 171 180 JSTOR 44141228 Kosmin Paul J 2013 Apologetic Ethnography Megasthenes Indica and the Seleucid Elephant In Eran Almagor Joseph Skinner ed Ancient Ethnography New Approaches Bloomsbury Publishing ISBN 9781472537607 Further reading EditHarry Falk 1982 Die sieben Kasten des Megasthenes in German Shri Ram Goyal 2001 India as Known to Kauṭilya and Megasthenes Kusumanjali Book World How the Hoopoe Got His Crest Reflections on Megasthenes Stories of India In Ancient Historiography on War and Empire edited by Stoneman Richard Howe Timothy and Muller Sabine 188 99 Oxford Philadelphia Oxbow Books 2017 www jstor org stable j ctt1kw2b3r 17 External links Edit Wikisource has original works by or about Megasthenes Fragments of Indika as reconstructed from later accounts Ancient India as described by Arrian based on accounts by Megasthenes Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Megasthenes amp oldid 1139173664, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
