Page:Ancient India as described by Megasthenês and Arrian.djvu/116

 97 once seicing the booty make off at fall speed. The ants, on learning what has been done, pursue the fugitives, and overtaking them fight with them till they conquer or die, for of all animals they are the most courageous. It hence appears that they understand the worth of gold, and that they will sacrifice their lives rather than part with it. Pragm. XLT. Strab. XV. 1. 58-60,— pp. 711-714. Of the Indian Philosophers. (Fragm. XXIX. has preceded this.) (58) Speaking of the philosophers, he (Megas- thenSs) says that such of them as live on the mountains are worshippers of Dionysos, show- ing as proofs that he had come among them the wild vine, which grows in their country only, and the ivy, and the laurel, and the myrtle, and the box-tree, and other evergreens, nono of which are found beyond the Euphrates, ex- cept a few in parks, which it requires great care to preserve. They observe idso certain customs which are Bacchanalian. Thus they dress in muslin, wear the turban, use per^uaes, array themselves in garments dyed of bright colours ; and their kings, when they appear in public, are preceded by the music of drums and gongs. But the philosophers who live on the plains worship Herakles. [These accounts are fjEbbulous, and are impugned by many writers, especially what is said about the vine and wine. For the greater part of Armenia, and the whole of Mesopotamia and Media, onwards to Persia and Karmania* lie beyond the Eu- Digitized by Google