§15.1.19τὴν δʼ ὁμοιότητα τῆς χώρας ταύτης πρός τε τὴν Αἴγυπτον καὶ τὴν Αἰθιοπίαν καὶ πάλιν τὴν ἐναντιότητα παραθεὶς ὁ Ἀριστόβουλος, διότι τῷ Νείλῳ μὲν ἐκ τῶν νοτίων ὄμβρων ἐστὶν ἡ πλήρωσις τοῖς Ἰνδικοῖς δὲ ποταμοῖς ἀπὸ τῶν ἀρκτικῶν, ζητεῖ πῶς οἱ μεταξὺ τόποι οὐ κατομβροῦνται· οὔτε γὰρ ἡ Θηβαῒς μέχρι Συήνης καὶ τῶν ἐγγὺς Μερόης οὔτε τῆς Ἰνδικῆς τὰ ἀπὸ τῆς Παταληνῆς μέχρι τοῦ Ὑδάσπου·
Aristobulus, having compared the similarity of this country to both Egypt and Ethiopia, and again its contrariety—because the filling of the Nile is from the southern rains, whereas that of the Indian rivers is from the northern ones—inquires why the intermediate places are not rained upon; for neither the Thebais as far as Syene and the parts near Meroe, nor the parts of India from Patalene as far as the Hydaspes, experience rain.
τὴν δʼ ὑπὲρ ταῦτα τὰ μέρη χώραν ἐν ᾗ καὶ ὄμβροι καὶ νιφετοί, παραπλησίως ἔφη γεωργεῖσθαι τῇ ἄλλῃ τῇ ἔξω τῆς Ἰνδικῆς χώρᾳ· ποτίζεσθαι γὰρ ἐκ τῶν ὄμβρων καὶ χιόνων.
On the other hand, the country above these regions, in which there are both rains and snowstorms, is cultivated, he said, in a manner very similar to the other country outside India; for it is watered by the rains and the snows.
εἰκὸς δʼ οἷς εἴρηκεν οὗτος καὶ εὔσειστον εἶναι τὴν γῆν, χαυνουμένην ὑπὸ τῆς πολλῆς ὑγρασίας καὶ ἐκρήγματα λαμβάνουσαν ὥστε καὶ ῥεῖθρα ποταμῶν ἀλλάττεσθαι.
It is reasonable, from what this writer has said, that the land is also subject to earthquakes, being loosened by the great moisture and receiving rifts, so that even the beds of the rivers are changed.
πεμφθεὶς γοῦν ἐπί τινα χρείαν ἰδεῖν φησιν ἐρημωθεῖσαν χώραν πλειόνων ἢ χιλίων πόλεων σὺν κώμαις, ἐκλιπόντος τοῦ Ἰνδοῦ τὸ οἰκεῖον ῥεῖθρον ἐκτραπομένου δʼ εἰς τὸ ἕτερον ἐν ἀριστερᾷ κοιλότερον πολύ, καὶ οἷον καταρράξαντος, ὡς τὴν ἀπολειφθεῖσαν ἐν δεξιᾷ χώραν μηκέτι ποτίζεσθαι ταῖς ὑπερχύσεσι, μετεωροτέραν οὖσαν οὐ τοῦ ῥείθρου τοῦ καινοῦ μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ὑπερχύσεων.
At all events, he says that when he was sent on a certain mission, he saw a country of more than a thousand cities, together with villages, which had been deserted because the Indus, having abandoned its own proper bed and turned into another on the left which was much deeper, and having as it were rushed headlong into it, so that the country left behind on the right was no longer watered by the overflows, since it was higher not only than the new bed but also than the overflows.
§15.1.20ταῖς δὲ τῶν ποταμῶν πληρώσεσι καὶ τῷ τοὺς ἀπογαίους μὴ πνεῖν ὁμολογεῖ καὶ τὸ λεχθὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ Ὀνησικρίτου· τεναγώδη γάρ φησιν εἶναι τὴν παραλίαν καὶ μάλιστα κατὰ τὰ στόματα τῶν ποταμῶν, διά τε τὴν χοῦν καὶ τὰς πλημμυρίδας καὶ τὴν τῶν πελαγίων ἀνέμων ἐπικράτειαν.
With respect to the filling of the rivers and the fact that the land breezes do not blow, what is said by Onesicritus also agrees; for he says that the coast is swampy, especially at the mouths of the rivers, because of the silt, the tides, and the prevalence of the sea winds.
Μεγασθένης δὲ τὴν εὐδαιμονίαν τῆς Ἰνδικῆς ἐπισημαίνεται τῷ δίκαρπον εἶναι καὶ δίφορον· καθάπερ καὶ Ἐρατοσθένης ἔφη, τὸν μὲν εἰπὼν σπόρον χειμερινὸν τὸν δὲ θερινόν, καὶ ὄμβρον ὁμοίως· οὐδὲν γὰρ ἔτος εὑρίσκεσθαί φησι πρὸς ἀμφοτέρους καιροὺς ἄνομβρον· ὥστʼ εὐετηρίαν ἐκ τούτου συμβαίνειν ἀφόρου μηδέποτε τῆς γῆς οὔσης·
Megasthenes, on his part, points out the fertility of India by the fact that it produces crops twice a year and bears fruit twice, just as Eratosthenes also said, stating that one sowing is in winter and the other in summer, and the rains likewise; for he says that no year is found rainless in respect to both seasons, so that from this there is plenty, since the land is never barren.
τούς τε ξυλίνους καρποὺς γεννᾶσθαι πολλοὺς καὶ τὰς ῥίζας τῶν φυτῶν καὶ μάλιστα τῶν μεγάλων καλάμων, γλυκείας καὶ φύσει καὶ ἑψήσει χλιαινομένου τοῦ ὕδατος τοῖς ἡλίοις τοῦ τʼ ἐκπίπτοντος ἐκ Διὸς καὶ τοῦ ποταμίου.
He says also that many tree-fruits are produced, and the roots of plants, especially of the large reeds, which are sweet both by nature and by concoction, since the water, both that which falls from Zeus and that of the rivers, is warmed by the suns.
τρόπον δή τινα λέγειν βούλεται διότι ἡ παρὰ τοῖς ἄλλοις λεγομένη πέψις καὶ καρπῶν καὶ χυμῶν παρʼ ἐκείνοις ἕψησίς ἐστι, καὶ κατεργάζεται τοσοῦτον εἰς εὐστομίαν ὅσον καὶ ἡ διὰ πυρός· διὸ καὶ τοὺς κλάδους φησὶν εὐκαμπεῖς εἶναι τῶν δένδρων ἐξ ὧν οἱ τροχοί· ἐκ δὲ τῆς αὐτῆς αἰτίας ἐνίοις καὶ ἐπανθεῖν ἔριον.
In a certain way he wishes to say that what among other peoples is called the ripening of both fruits and juices, is among them a concoction, and accomplishes as much toward good flavor as that done by fire; wherefore also he says that the branches of the trees are flexible, from which wheels are made; and from the same cause wool grows on some plants.
ἐκ τούτου δὲ Νέαρχός φησι τὰς εὐητρίους ὑφαίνεσθαι σινδόνας, τοὺς δὲ Μακεδόνας ἀντὶ κναφάλλων αὐτοῖς χρῆσθαι καὶ τοῖς σάγμασι σάγης·
From this, Nearchus says, fine-threaded muslins are woven, and the Macedonians use them instead of stuffing, and also for the stuffing of saddles.
τοιαῦτα δὲ καὶ τὰ Σηρικὰ ἔκ τινων φλοιῶν ξαινομένης βύσσου.
Similar also are the Seric garments, made of byssus combed from certain barks.
εἴρηκε δὲ καὶ περὶ τῶν καλάμων ὅτι ποιοῦσι μέλι μελισσῶν μὴ οὐσῶν· καὶ γὰρ δένδρον εἶναι καρποφόρον, ἐκ δὲ τοῦ καρποῦ συντίθεσθαι μέλι, τοὺς δὲ φαγόντας ὠμοῦ τοῦ καρποῦ μεθύειν.
He has also said concerning the reeds that they produce honey, although there are no bees; for indeed there is a fruit-bearing tree, and from its fruit honey is composed, and those who eat of the fruit raw become intoxicated.