§15.1.21πολλὰ γὰρ δὴ δένδρα παράδοξα ἡ Ἰνδικὴ τρέφει, ὧν ἐστι καὶ τὸ κάτω νεύοντας ἔχον τοὺς κλάδους τὰ δὲ φύλλα ἀσπίδος οὐκ ἐλάττω.
Indeed, India nurtures many remarkable trees, among which is also the one that has its branches bending downwards and its leaves not smaller than a shield.
Ὀνησίκριτος δὲ καὶ περιεργότερον τὰ ἐν τῇ Μουσικανοῦ διεξιών, ἅ φησι νοτιώτατα εἶναι τῆς Ἰνδικῆς, διηγεῖται μεγάλα δένδρα τινά, ὧν τοὺς κλάδους αὐξηθέντας ἐπὶ πήχεις καὶ δώδεκα, ἔπειτα τὴν λοιπὴν αὔξησιν καταφερῆ λαμβάνειν ὡς ἂν κατακαμπτομένους, ἕως ἂν ἅψωνται τῆς γῆς· ἔπειτα κατὰ γῆς διαδοθέντας ῥιζοῦσθαι ὁμοίως ταῖς κατώρυξιν, εἶτʼ ἀναδοθέντας στελεχοῦσθαι· ἐξ οὗ πάλιν ὁμοίως τῇ αὐξήσει κατακαμφθέντας ἄλλην κατώρυγα ποιεῖν, εἶτʼ ἄλλην, καὶ οὕτως ἐφεξῆς, ὥστʼ ἀφʼ ἑνὸς δένδρου σκιάδιον γίνεσθαι μακρὸν πολυστύλῳ σκηνῇ ὅμοιον.
Onesicritus, describing in greater detail the things in the territory of Musicanus, which he says is the southernmost part of India, relates some large trees, whose branches, having grown up to twelve cubits, then take the remaining growth downwards as if bending, until they touch the earth; then, spreading under the ground, they take root similarly to layers, and then, springing up, they form trunks; from which again, being bent in the same manner of growth, they make another layer, and then another, and so on in succession, so that from a single tree there arises a long bower resembling a multi-columned tent.
λέγει δὲ καὶ μεγέθη δένδρων ὥστε πέντε ἀνθρώποις δυσπερίληπτα εἶναι τὰ στελέχη.
He tells also of the sizes of the trees, so that the trunks are difficult for five men to clasp.
κατὰ δὲ τὸν Ἀκεσίνην καὶ τὴν συμβολὴν τὴν πρὸς Ὑάρωτιν καὶ Ἀριστόβουλος εἴρηκε περὶ τῶν κατακαμπτομένους ἐχόντων τοὺς κλάδους καὶ περὶ τοῦ μεγέθους ὥσθʼ ὑφʼ ἑνὶ δένδρῳ μεσημβρίζειν σκιαζομένους ἱππέας πεντήκοντα· οὗτος δὲ τετρακοσίους.
And Aristobulus also, near the Acesines and its confluence with the Hyarotis, has spoken of the trees that have their branches bending downwards, and of their size, such that fifty horsemen can rest at noon shaded under a single tree; but this writer says four hundred.
λέγει δὲ ὁ Ἀριστόβουλος καὶ ἄλλο δένδρον οὐ μέγα, λοποὺς ἔχον ὡς ὁ κύαμος δεκαδακτύλους τὸ μῆκος πλήρεις μέλιτος, τοὺς δὲ φαγόντας οὐ ῥᾳδίως σώζεσθαι.
Aristobulus speaks also of another tree, not large, which has pods like the bean, ten fingers in length, full of honey, and those who eat of them do not easily escape with their lives.
ἅπαντας δʼ ὑπερβέβληνται περὶ τοῦ μεγέθους τῶν δένδρων οἱ φήσαντες ἑωρᾶσθαι πέραν τοῦ Ὑαρώτιδος τῶν δένδρων οἱ φήσαντες ταῖς μεσημβρίαις πενταστάδιον.
But all have been surpassed regarding the size of the trees by those who said that there was seen beyond the Hyarotis a tree which casts five stades of shadow at noon.
καὶ τῶν ἐριοφόρων δένδρων φησὶν οὗτος τὸ ἄνθος ἔχειν πυρῆνα· ἐξαιρεθέντος δὲ τούτου ξαίνεσθαι τὸ λοιπὸν ὁμοίως ταῖς ἐρέαις.
And this writer says that the flower of the wool-bearing trees has a seed; and when this is removed, the rest is combed similarly to wool.
§15.1.22Ἐν δὲ τῇ Μουσικανοῦ καὶ σῖτον αὐτοφυῆ λέγει πυρῷ παραπλήσιον καὶ ἄμπελον, ὥστʼ οἰνοφορεῖν τῶν ἄλλων ἄοινον λεγόντων τὴν Ἰνδικήν· ὥστε μηδʼ αὐλὸν εἶναι κατὰ τὸν Ἀνάχαρσιν μηδʼ ἄλλο τῶν μουσικῶν ὀργάνων μηδὲν πλὴν κυμβάλων καὶ τυμπάνων καὶ κροτάλων ἃ τοὺς θαυματοποιοὺς κεκτῆσθαι.
In the country of Musicanus he says there is also wild grain very similar to wheat, and a vine, so that it bears wine, although others say that India has no wine; so that, according to Anacharsis, there is neither a flute nor any other of the musical instruments except cymbals and drums and castanets, which the jugglers possess.
καὶ πολυφάρμακον δὲ καὶ πολύρριζον τῶν τε σωτηρίων καὶ τῶν ἐναντίων, ὥσπερ καὶ πολυχρώματον, καὶ οὗτος εἴρηκε καὶ ἄλλοι γε· προστίθησι δʼ οὗτος ὅτι καὶ νόμος εἴη τὸν ἀνευρόντα τι τῶν ὀλεθρίων, ἐὰν μὴ προσανεύρῃ καὶ τὸ ἄκος αὐτοῦ, θανατοῦσθαι· ἀνευρόντα δὲ τιμῆς τυγχάνειν παρὰ τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν.
And that it is rich in drugs and roots, both beneficial and the opposite, as well as rich in colors, both this writer and others indeed have said; and this writer adds that there is also a law that he who discovers any of the deadly things, unless he also discovers its remedy, is put to death; but if he discovers the remedy, he receives honor from the kings.
ἔχειν δὲ καὶ κιννάμωμον καὶ νάρδον καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ἀρώματα τὴν νότιον γῆν τὴν Ἰνδικὴν ὁμοίως ὥσπερ τὴν Ἀραβίαν καὶ τὴν Αἰθιοπίαν ἔχουσάν τι ἐμφερὰς ἐκείναις κατὰ τοὺς ἡλίους· διαφέρειν δὲ τῷ πλεονασμῷ τῶν ὑδάτων ὥστʼ ἔνικμον εἶναι τὸν ἀέρα καὶ τροφιμώτερον παρὰ τοῦτο καὶ γόνιμον μᾶλλον, ὡς δʼ αὕτως καὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ, ᾗ δὴ καὶ μείζω τά τε χερσαῖα τῶν ζῴων καὶ τὰ καθʼ ὕδατος τὰ ἐν Ἰνδοῖς τῶν παρʼ ἄλλοις εὑρίσκεσθαι.
And that the southern land of India also has cinnamon, nard, and other aromatics, similarly to Arabia and Ethiopia, possessing something resembling them on account of the suns; but it differs in the abundance of water, so that the air is humid and, on this account, more nourishing and more productive, and likewise also the land and the water, wherefore indeed both the land animals and the water animals found among the Indians are larger than those among other peoples.
καὶ τὸν Νεῖλον δʼ εἶναι γόνιμον μᾶλλον ἑτέρων καὶ μεγαλοφυῆ γεννᾶν καὶ τἆλλα καὶ τὰ ἀμφίβια, τάς τε γυναῖκας ἔσθʼ ὅτε καὶ τετράδυμα τίκτειν τὰς Αἰγυπτίας· Ἀριστοτέλης δέ τινα καὶ ἑπτάδυμα ἱστορεῖ τετοκέναι, καὶ αὐτὸς πολύγονον καλῶν τὸν Νεῖλον καὶ τρόφιμον διὰ τὴν ἐκ τῶν ἡλίων μετρίαν ἕψησιν αὐτὸ καταλειπόντων τὸ τρόφιμον τὸ δὲ περιττὸν ἐκθυμιώντων.
And that the Nile too is more productive than others and generates huge creatures, both other kinds and amphibious ones, and the Egyptian women sometimes give birth even to quadruplets; and Aristotle records that some woman even gave birth to septuplets, himself also calling the Nile highly productive and nourishing, because of the moderate concoction by the suns, which leave the nourishing element but evaporate the surplus.