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.
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A New Translation of the Fragments with Commentary
Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9781000411836
Publisert
2021
Utgave
1. utgave
Utgiver
Taylor & Francis
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter