of women for forty days they again cross over. However, when the woman has borne two children, the husband no longer crosses over to his own wife for the sake of intercourse. Therefore, having provided a substitute for them, they live continently for the remaining time. But if a woman among them happens to be found barren, for up to five years the husband crosses over to her, having relations with her; and if she does not give birth, he no longer approaches her. Therefore their nation is not extended into a populous multitude, both because of the hardship of the place and because of the natural continence in procreation. 1.14 This is the way of life of the Brahmans. And they say the river is difficult to cross because of the so-called tooth-tyrant; for it is an exceedingly large animal, living in the river, amphibious, able to swallow an elephant whole and entire; but at the time of the crossing of the Brahmans to their own wives, it is not seen in those places. There are also very large serpents in those rivers, up to seventy cubits long, so that I myself saw one hide that was two feet in width. The ants there are a palm's breadth, and the scorpions a cubit long; for which reason those places are also difficult to travel through. But not every place there has such animals or venomous beasts, but only the uninhabited part. A great herd of elephants. 1.15 However, of Arrian, the student of Epictetus the philosopher, who had also been a slave, but on account of his natural talent advanced to philosophy in the times of Nero the king, who punished the renowned apostles Peter and Paul—this one having chronicled the deeds of Alexander the Macedonian {for he says}—the little treatise which I possessed I have sent to the manliness of your nobility, having appended it to my own memorandum; which, reading with understanding and heeding with care, you will live safely. 2.1 Dandamis, the teacher of the Brahmans, relating the things concerning the Macedonian, said: "King Alexander, not enduring to be king of Macedonia alone nor being content with Philip as his father, but said he was the son of Ammon, and though his birth proved it false, he brought forth false proofs of his nature, and he put forward invincible contests; for he rose like the sun from Macedonia, riding down a great part of the world before he set near Babylon, and treating Europe and Asia as small places he came, observing and searching out our world." 2.2 And Alexander said these things to himself: "Wisdom, mother of Providence, partner of all power, situated higher up in truth alone, nurse and creator of nature, giver of words, scout of common knowledge, separated from the unjust, but sparing the just, grant graciously that I may now obtain my requests. I have come here to see the Brahmans who are present, who are both wise and good, having learned of them from a certain Calanus of this place who hastened to me; and having been persuaded I came, and I long to see and learn clearly." 2.3 The Brahmans, who are also Indians, say these things to Alexander: "Desiring wisdom you have come to us, which we Brahmans first approve, because <what> is more kingly in our life? For you wished to learn this, King Alexander; for the philosopher is not mastered, but is a master, for no man has power over him. But since until now, being slandered, we were distrusted by you, having now tasted true words you have come. 2.4 For Calanus has become a bad man to us, and through Calanus, you Greek men came to know the Brahmans {but did not recognize them}; for he was not one of ours, having fled from virtue to wealth; it was not enough for him to drink the water of temperance from the Tiberoboam river and to eat dairy products, by which a god-like mind is increased; he acquired wealth, the enemy of the soul, and so it kindled a terrible fire in him and turned him toward pleasure, away from wisdom. But none of us rolls on hot coals, nor does pain consume our body, but our food is a life-giving medicine of health. 2.5 But we are without wealth by nature, and death follows our life similarly for all. But if some mortal men, having learned false stories, shoot at us with empty

γυναικῶν τεσσαράκοντα ἡμέρας αὖθις ἀντιπερῶσιν. γεννησάσης μέντοι τῆς γυναικὸς δύο παιδία οὐκέτι ὁ ἀνὴρ περᾷ πρὸς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γυναῖκα κοινωνίας χάριν. ἀντιστήσαντες οὖν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν τὸ ἀντίσωμα τὸν ἐπίλοιπον ἐγκρατεύονται χρόνον. ἐὰν δὲ συμβῇ στεῖραν ἐν αὐταῖς εὑρεθῆναι γυναῖκα, μέχρι πενταετίας περᾷ πρὸς αὐτὴν ὁ ἀνὴρ συγγινόμενος αὐτῇ· καὶ ἐὰν μὴ γεννήσῃ, οὐ κέτι αὐτῇ προσεγγίζει. διὸ οὐδὲ εἰς πλῆθος πολυάνθρωπον ἐκ τέταται αὐτῶν τὸ ἔθνος διά τε τὴν δυσζωΐαν τοῦ τόπου καὶ διὰ τὴν φυσικὴν ἐγκράτειαν τῆς γεννήσεως. 1.14 αὕτη τῶν Βραγμάνων ἐστὶν ἡ πολιτεία. τὸν δὲ ποταμὸν λέ γουσι δυσπεραίωτον εἶναι διὰ τὸν λεγόμενον ὀδοντοτύραννον· ζῷ ον γάρ ἐστι μέγιστον εἰς ὑπερβολήν, ἐνυπάρχον τῷ ποταμῷ ἀμφί βιον, ἐλέφαντα ὁλόκληρον καὶ ἀκέραιον καταπιεῖν δυνάμενον· ἐν δὲ τῷ καιρῷ τοῦ περάματος τῶν Βραγμάνων πρὸς τὰς ἑαυτῶν γυ ναῖκας οὐκ ὀπτάνεται ἐν τοῖς τόποις ἐκείνοις. εἰσὶ δὲ καὶ δρά κοντες μέγιστοι ἐν τοῖς ποταμοῖς ἐκείνοις ἕως πηχῶν ἑβδομή κοντα, ὡς καὶ δορὰν μίαν ἐθεασάμην ἐγὼ δύο ποδῶν πλάτος ἔχου σαν. οἱ δὲ μύρμηκές εἰσι τῶν ἐκεῖ παλαιστιαῖοι, οἱ δὲ σκορπί οι πηχυαῖοι· διὸ καὶ δυσδιόδευτοί εἰσιν ἐκεῖνοι οἱ τόποι. οὐ πᾶς δὲ τόπος τῶν ἐκεῖ ἔχει τοιαῦτα ζῷα ἢ ἰοβόλα θηρία, ἀλλ' ἡ ἀοίκητος μόνη. ἀγέλη ἐλεφάντων πολλή. 1.15 Ἀῤῥιανοῦ μέντοι τοῦ μαθητοῦ τοῦ Ἐπικτήτου τοῦ φιλοσόφου τοῦ καὶ δούλου γεγενημένου, δι' εὐφυΐαν δὲ φύσεως εἰς φιλοσοφίαν ἐλάσαντος ἐν τοῖς καιροῖς Νέρωνος τοῦ βασιλέως τοῦ κολάσαντος τοὺς ἀοιδίμους ἀποστόλους Πέτρον καὶ Παῦλον, τούτου τὰ κατὰ Ἀλέξανδρον τὸν Μακεδόνα ἱστορήσαντος {φησὶ γὰρ} ὃ ἐκεκτήμην πονημάτιον ἀπέστειλα τῇ ἀνδρείᾳ τῆς σῆς καλοκἀγαθίας, ὑποτάξας μου τῷ ὑπομνηματικῷ· ὅπερ ἀναγινώσ κων νουνεχῶς καὶ φροντίσας ἐμμελῶς βιώσεις ἀσφαλῶς. 2.1 ∆άνδαμις, ὁ τῶν Βραγμάνων διδάσκαλος, διηγούμενος τὰ κατὰ τὸν Μακεδόνα ἔφη· "βασιλεὺς Ἀλέξανδρος, οὐκ ἀνεχόμενος μόνης εἶναι βασιλεὺς τῆς Μακεδονίας οὐδ' ἀρκούμενος πατρὶ Φιλίππῳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ Ἄμμωνος υἱὸν ἑαυτὸν ἔλεγεν εἶναι καὶ τῆς γενέσεως ἐλεγχούσης ψευδεῖς ἔφερε τῆς φύσεως ἀποδείξεις, ἀνικήτους δὲ ἀγῶνας προέφερεν· ἀνέτειλε γὰρ ὡς ὁ ἥλιος ἀπὸ Μακεδονίας καθιππεύσας πολὺν κόσμον πρὶν ἔδυνε κατὰ Βαβυλῶ να, τήν τε Εὐρώπην καὶ τὴν Ἀσίαν ὡς μικρὰ χρησάμενος χωρία ἦλθε καὶ τὸν ἡμέτερον κόσμον κατοπτεύων καὶ ἐρευνῶν." 2.2 ἔλεγε δὲ ταῦτα ἐν ἑαυτῷ Ἀλέξανδρος· "Σοφία, μῆτερ Προνοίας, κοινωνὲ δὲ τῆς πασῶν δυνάμεως, ἀνωτέρω ἐν ἀληθείᾳ μόνῃ κειμένη, τροφὲ καὶ δημιουργὲ φύσεως, λόγων δωτήρ, γνώ σεως κοινῆς κατάσκοπε, ἀδίκων μὲν κεχωρισμένη, δικαίων δὲ φειδομένη, δὸς εὐμενῶς ἤδη μοι τῶν αἰτημάτων τυχεῖν. Βραγ μᾶνας δὲ παρόντας ἐνθάδε σοφούς τε καὶ ἀγαθοὺς ἰδεῖν ἥκω, μαθὼν παρὰ Καλάνου τινὸς τῶν ἐνθάδε σπεύσαντος πρός με· πεισθεὶς δὲ ἦλθον, ποθῶ δέ, ὅπως ἴδω καὶ μάθω σαφῶς." 2.3 Βραγμᾶνες καὶ αὐτοὶ Ἰνδοὶ Ἀλεξάνδρῳ ταῦτα λέγουσι· "ὀρεγόμενος σοφίας ἦλθες πρὸς ἡμᾶς, ὅπερ πρῶτον ἀποδεχό μεθα Βραγμᾶνες, ὅτι <τί> ἐστι βασιλικώτερον ἐν τῷ βίῳ ἡμῶν; τοῦτο γὰρ ἠθέλησας μαθεῖν, βασιλεῦ Ἀλέξανδρε· ὁ φιλόσοφος γὰρ οὐ δεσπόζεται, ἀλλὰ δεσπόζει, ἄνθρωπος γὰρ αὐτοῦ οὐ κρα τεῖ. ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ μέχρι νῦν διαβεβλημένοι ἠπιστούμεθα ὑπὸ σοῦ, γευσάμενος νῦν ἀληθινῶν λόγων ἦλθες. 2.4 Κάλανος γὰρ κακὸς ἀνὴρ ἡμῖν γεγένηται, καὶ διὰ Καλάνου ἄνδρες Ἕλληνες Βραγμᾶνας ἔγνωτε {ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐπέγνωτε}· ἐκεῖνος γὰρ οὐκ ἦν ἡμέτερος ἀπ' ἀρετῆς δραπετεύσας εἰς πλοῦ τον· οὐκ ἤρκεσεν αὐτῷ Τιβεροβοὰμ ποταμοῦ πίνειν ὕδωρ σωφρο σύνης καὶ ἀμόλγας ἐσθίειν, ἐν οἷς αὐξάνεται νοῦς θεοπρεπής· πλοῦτον ἔσχεν, ἐχθρὸν ψυχῆς, καὶ οὕτως ἐν αὐτῷ δεινὸν ἀνέ φλεξε πῦρ καὶ εἰς ἡδονὴν αὐτὸν ἀπέστρεψεν ἀπὸ σοφίας. ἡμῶν δὲ οὐδεὶς ἐπ' ἀνθράκων κυλίεται οὐδὲ ἀλγηδὼν ἡμῶν δαπανᾷ τὸ σῶμα, ἀλλ' ἔστιν ἡμῶν ἡ τροφὴ ζωὴ ὑγείας φάρμακον. 2.5 ἄπλουτοι δ' ἐσμὲν κατὰ τὴν φύσιν καὶ ὁμοίως πᾶσι τῷ βίῳ ἡμῶν ἀκολουθεῖ θάνατος. εἰ δὲ τῶν θνητῶν τινες ἀνδρῶν ψευδεῖς μαθόντες λόγους κενοῖς ἡμᾶς ὑποτοξεύουσι