§15.1.53εὐτελεῖς δὲ κατὰ τὴν δίαιταν Ἰνδοὶ πάντες, μᾶλλον δʼ ἐν ταῖς στρατείαις·
All the Indians are frugal in their mode of life, and even more so in their camps.
οὐδʼ ὄχλῳ περιττῷ χαίρουσι, διόπερ εὐκοσμοῦσι.
They do not like a superfluous crowd, and therefore they are well-behaved.
πλείστη δʼ ἐκεχειρία περὶ τὰς κλοπάς·
There is a very great absence of theft among them.
γενόμενος γοῦν ἐν τῷ Σανδροκόττου στρατοπέδῳ φησὶν ὁ Μεγασθένης, τετταράκοντα μυριάδων πλήθους ἱδρυμένου μηδεμίαν ἡμέραν ἰδεῖν ἀνηνεγμένα κλέμματα πλειόνων ἢ διακοσίων δραχμῶν ἄξια, ἀγράφοις καὶ ταῦτα νόμοις χρωμένοις.
At any rate, Megasthenes, who was in the camp of Sandrocottus, says that although a crowd of forty myriads was stationed there, he did not see on any day any reported thefts of articles exceeding the value of two hundred drachmae, and this among a people who use unwritten laws.
οὐδὲ γὰρ γράμματα εἰδέναι αὐτούς, ἀλλʼ ἀπὸ μνήμης ἕκαστα διοικεῖσθαι· εὐπραγεῖν δʼ ὅμως διὰ τὴν ἁπλότητα καὶ τὴν εὐτέλειαν·
For they do not even know letters, but manage everything by memory; nevertheless, they live happily because of their simplicity and frugality.
οἶνόν τε γὰρ οὐ πίνειν ἀλλʼ ἐν θυσίαις μόνον, πίνειν δʼ ἀπʼ ὀρύζης ἀντὶ κριθίνων συντιθέντας· καὶ σιτία δὲ τὸ πλέον ὄρυζαν εἶναι ῥοφητήν.
For they do not drink wine except at sacrifices, but they drink a beverage prepared from rice instead of barley; and their food is for the most part a rice pottage.
καὶ ἐν τοῖς νόμοις δὲ καὶ συμβολαίοις τὴν ἁπλότητα ἐλέγχεσθαι ἐκ τοῦ μὴ πολυδίκους εἶναι·
Their simplicity in laws and contracts is proved by the fact that they are not litigious.
οὔτε γὰρ ὑποθήκης οὔτε παρακαταθήκης εἶναι δίκας, οὐδὲ μαρτύρων οὐδὲ σφραγίδων αὐτοῖς δεῖν, ἀλλὰ πιστεύειν παραβαλλομένους· καὶ τὰ οἴκοι δὲ τὸ πλέον ἀφρουρεῖν.
For there are no lawsuits about pledges or deposits, nor do they need witnesses or seals, but they trust one another, placing confidence in them; and they leave their houses for the most part unguarded.
ταῦτα μὲν δὴ σωφρονικά, τἆλλα δʼ οὐκ ἄν τις ἀποδέξαιτο, τὸ μόνους διαιτᾶσθαι ἀεὶ καὶ τὸ μὴ μίαν εἶναι πᾶσιν ὥραν κοινὴν δείπνου τε καὶ ἀρίστου, ἀλλʼ ὅπως ἑκάστῳ φίλον· πρὸς γὰρ τὸν κοινωνικὸν καὶ τὸν πολιτικὸν βίον ἐκείνως κρεῖττον.
These indeed are signs of self-control, but other things one would not approve, such as their always dining alone and their not having one common hour for dinner and breakfast for all, but each as he pleases; for with respect to social and civic life, the other way is better.
§15.1.54γυμνασίων δὲ μάλιστα τρῖψιν δοκιμάζουσι καὶ ἄλλως καὶ διὰ σκυταλίδων ἐβενίνων λείων ἐξομαλίζονται τὰ σώματα.
Of exercises, they approve most of friction, and they smooth their bodies, among other ways, by means of smooth ebony rods.
λιταὶ δὲ καὶ αἱ ταφαὶ καὶ μικρὰ χώματα·
Their burials are simple and their mounds are small.
ὑπεναντίως δὲ τῇ ἄλλῃ λιτότητι κοσμοῦνται· χρυσοφοροῦσι γὰρ καὶ διαλίθῳ κόσμῳ χρῶνται σινδόνας τε φοροῦσιν εὐανθεῖς, καὶ σκιάδια αὐτοῖς ἕπεται·
But in contrast to their other simplicity, they adorn themselves; for they wear gold ornaments and use jewelry, and they wear garments of fine flowered muslin, and umbrellas are carried after them.
τὸ γὰρ κάλλος τιμῶντες ἀσκοῦσιν ὅσα καλλωπίζει τὴν ὄψιν·
For, valuing beauty, they practice everything that beautifies their appearance.
ἀλήθειάν τε ὁμοίως καὶ ἀρετὴν ἀποδέχονται, διόπερ οὐδὲ τῇ ἡλικίᾳ τῶν γερόντων προνομίαν διδόασιν ἂν μὴ καὶ τῷ φρονεῖν πλεονεκτῶσι.
They respect truth and virtue likewise, and therefore they do not give any privilege even to the old age of elders unless they also excel in wisdom.
πολλὰς δὲ γαμοῦσιν ὠνητὰς παρὰ τῶν γονέων, λαμβάνουσί τε ἀντιδιδόντες ζεῦγος βοῶν, ὧν τὰς μὲν εὐπειθείας χάριν τὰς δʼ ἄλλας ἡδονῆς καὶ πολυτεκνίας·
They marry many wives, bought from their parents, and they receive them in exchange for a yoke of oxen, some of them for the sake of obedience, and others for pleasure and abundance of children.
εἰ δὲ μὴ σωφρονεῖν ἀναγκάσαιεν, πορνεύειν ἔξεστι.
If they do not compel them to be chaste, it is permitted to turn to prostitution.
θύει δὲ οὐδεὶς ἐστεφανωμένος οὐδὲ θυμιᾷ οὐδὲ σπένδει, οὐδὲ σφάττουσι τὸ ἱερεῖον ἀλλὰ πνίγουσιν, ἵνα μὴ λελωβημένον ἀλλʼ ὁλόκληρον διδῶται τῷ θεῷ·
No one offers sacrifice wearing a garland, nor do they burn incense, nor make libation; nor do they slaughter the victim, but they strangle it, so that it may be given to the god not mutilated but whole.
ψευδομαρτυρίας δʼ ὁ ἁλοὺς ἀκρωτηριάζεται, ὅ τε πηρώσας οὐ τὰ αὐτὰ μόνον ἀντιπάσχει ἀλλὰ καὶ χειροκοπεῖται· ἐὰν δὲ καὶ τεχνίτου χεῖρα ἢ ὀφθαλμὸν ἀφέληται, θανατοῦται.
The one convicted of false witness has his extremities cut off; and the one who maims another not only suffers the same in return but also has his hand cut off; and if he deprives a craftsman of a hand or an eye, he is put to death.
δούλοις δὲ οὗτος μέν φησι μηδένα Ἰνδῶν χρῆσθαι, Ὀνησίκριτος δὲ τῶν ἐν τῇ Μουσικανοῦ τοῦτʼ ἴδιον ἀποφαίνει καὶ ὡς κατόρθωμά γε· καθάπερ καὶ ἄλλα πολλὰ λέγει τῆς χώρας ταύτης κατορθώματα ὡς εὐνομωτάτης.
As for slaves, this writer says that no Indian uses any, but Onesicritus declares that this is peculiar to those in the territory of Musicanus, and indeed as a successful institution; just as he mentions many other successes of this country as being most excellently governed.
§15.1.55τῷ βασιλεῖ δʼ ἡ μὲν τοῦ σώματος θεραπεία διὰ γυναικῶν ἐστιν, ὠνητῶν καὶ αὐτῶν παρὰ τῶν πατέρων· ἔξω δὲ τῶν θυρῶν οἱ σωματοφύλακες καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν στρατιωτικόν·
For the king, the care of his person is performed by women, who are also bought from their fathers; outside the gates stand the bodyguards and the rest of the military.
μεθύοντα δὲ κτείνασα γυνὴ βασιλέα γέρας ἔχει συνεῖναι τῷ ἐκεῖνον διαδεξαμένῳ· διαδέχονται δʼ οἱ παῖδες·
A woman who kills the king when he is drunk has as her reward the right to consort with his successor; and his sons succeed him.
οὐδʼ ὑπνοῖ μεθʼ ἡμέραν ὁ βασιλεύς· καὶ νύκτωρ δὲ καθʼ ὥραν ἀναγκάζεται τὴν κοίτην ἀλλάττειν διὰ τὰς ἐπιβουλάς.
The king does not sleep during the day; and even at night he is forced to change his bed from hour to hour because of conspiracies.
τῶν τε μὴ κατὰ πόλεμον ἐξόδων μία μέν ἐστιν ἡ ἐπὶ τὰς κρίσεις, ἐν αἷς διημερεύει διακούων οὐδὲν ἧττον κἂν ὥρα γένηται τῆς τοῦ σώματος θεραπείας· αὕτη δʼ ἐστὶν ἡ διὰ τῶν σκυταλίδων τρῖψις· ἅμα γὰρ καὶ διακούει καὶ τρίβεται τεττάρων περιστάντων τριβέων·
Of his excursions other than in war, one is that to the courts, in which he spends the whole day hearing cases, none the less even if the hour comes for the care of his person; and this is friction by means of rods, for he hears the cases and is rubbed at the same time, while four rubbers stand around him.
ἑτέρα δʼ ἐστὶν ἡ ἐπὶ τὰς θυσίας ἔξοδος· τρίτη δʼ ἐπὶ θήραν βακχική τις κύκλῳ γυναικῶν περικεχυμένων, ἔξωθεν δὲ τῶν δορυφόρων·
Another excursion is that to the sacrifices; and a third is to the chase, which is a kind of Bacchic process, with women surrounding him in a circle, and the spear-bearers outside them.
παρεσχοίνισται δʼ ἡ ὁδός, τῷ δὲ παρελθόντι ἐντὸς μέχρι γυναικῶν θάνατος· προηγοῦνται δὲ τυμπανισταὶ καὶ κωδωνοφόροι.
The road is roped off, and death is the penalty for anyone who passes inside as far as the women; drummers and bell-bearers lead the way.
κυνηγετεῖ δʼ ἐν μὲν τοῖς περιφράγμασιν ἀπὸ βήματος τοξεύων (παρεστᾶσι δʼ ἔνοπλοι δύο ἢ τρεῖς γυναῖκες), ἐν δὲ ταῖς ἀφράκτοις θήραις ἀπʼ ἐλέφαντος·
He hunts in the enclosures, shooting arrows from a platform (two or three armed women stand by him), but in the unenclosed chases, from an elephant.
αἱ δὲ γυναῖκες αἱ μὲν ἐφʼ ἁρμάτων, αἱ δʼ ἐφʼ ἵππων αἱ δὲ καὶ ἐπʼ ἐλεφάντων, ὡς καὶ συστρατεύουσιν, ἠσκημέναι παντὶ ὅπλῳ.
The women ride some on chariots, some on horses, and some even on elephants, and they are equipped with every weapon, just as when they go on a campaign.