Deimachus

Deimachus

Deimachus (3rd century BCE), (Greek Δηιμάχος, in four syllables), was a Greek of the Seleucid Empire. He became an ambassador to the court of Bindusara "Amitragata" (son of Chandragupta Maurya) in Pataliputra in India.

As an ambassador, he was the successor to the famous ambassador and historian Megasthenes. Both of them were mentioned by Strabo:

"Both of these men were sent ambassadors to Palimbothra (Pataliputra): Megasthenes to Sandrocottus, Deimachus to Allitrochades his son" (Strabo II, I, 9). [1]

Deimachus apparently wrote extensively on India, and is quoted as a reference in geographical matters, although his works are now lost:

"It is likely there are more than 3000 stadia, but taking this number, if we add thereto the 30,000 stadia, which Deimachus states there are between [the southern extremity of India] and the country of the Bactrians and Sogdians, we shall find both of these nations lie beyond the temperate zone and habitable earth." (Strabo II,1,14)
"The computations of Megasthenes and Deïmachus are more moderate, for they estimate the distance from the Southern Sea to Caucasus at above 20,000 stadia." (Strabo XV,1,12) [2]

Strabo, however, disputed these figures, and some of the fancy accounts of both men, although they also brought extensive knowledge about India:

"Generally speaking, the men who hitherto have written on the affairs of India, were a set of liars. Deimachus holds the first place in the list, Megasthenes comes next, while Onesicritus and Nearchus, with others of the same class, manage to stammer out a few words [of truth]. Of this we became the more convinced whilst writing the history of Alexander. No faith whatever can be placed in Deimachus and Megasthenes. They coined the fables concerning men with ears large enough to sleep in, men without any mouths, without noses, with only one eye, with spider-legs, and with fingers bent backward. They renewed Homer's fable concerning the battles of the Cranes and Pygmies, and asserted the latter to be three spans high. They told of ants digging for gold, of Pans with wedge-shaped heads, of serpents swallowing down oxen and stags, horns and all; meantime, as Eratosthenes has observed, reciprocally accusing each other of falsehood." (Strabo II, I, 9).


Notes

  1. ^ Strabo II,I, 9
  2. ^ Strabo XV,1,12

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Glavcia — GLAVCIA, æ, Scamanders Tochter, verliebete sich in den Deimachus, als solcher mit dem Herkules wider den Laomedon vor Troja gekommen war, und wurde auch von ihm schwanger Als aber Deimachus hernach in solchem Zuge mit umkam, und sie sich einer… …   Gründliches mythologisches Lexikon

  • Bindusara — Infobox Monarch name =Bindusara title =Mauryan Emperor caption = reign =298 c.272 BC coronation = othertitles = full name = predecessor =Chandragupta Maurya successor =Ashoka the Great queen = consort = spouse 1 = spouse 2 = spouse 3 = spouse 4 …   Wikipedia

  • Indo-Greek Kingdom — Infobox Former Country native name = conventional long name = Indo Greek Kingdom common name = Indo Greek Kingdom continent = Asia region = country = era = Antiquity status = event start = year start = 180 BC date start = event1 = date event1 =… …   Wikipedia

  • Nelevs — NELEṼS, ëi, Gr. Νηλεὺς, έως, (⇒ Tab. XI.) Neptuns, Apollod. l. I. c. 9. §. 8 Diod. Sic. l. IV. c. 65. p. 188. oder, nach andern, Hippokoons, Hygin. Fab. 10. und der Tyro, einer Tochter des Salmoneus, Sohn, wurde von seiner Mutter, nebst seinem… …   Gründliches mythologisches Lexikon

  • Aeolus — For the click beetle genus, see Aeolus (beetle) .Aeolus (Greek: polytonic|Αἴολος [aí.jo.los] , Ailos Modern Greek:Audio IPA|lang=Greek|Ell Aiolos.ogg| [ e.o.los] ), Latinized as Æolus was the ruler of the winds in Greek mythology. In fact this… …   Wikipedia

  • List of Greek mythological figures — A listing of Greek mythological beings. Many of the gods and goddesses had Roman and Etruscan equivalents. See also family tree of the Greek gods and the list of Greek mythological creatures. For a list of the deities of many cultures (including… …   Wikipedia

  • Chloris — For other uses, see Chloris (disambiguation). As she talks, her lips breathe spring roses: I was Chloris, who am now called Flora. Ovid There are many stories in Greek mythology about figures named Chloris ( Khloris or Χλωρίς, from Khloros or… …   Wikipedia

  • Maurya Empire — Mauryan Empire ← …   Wikipedia

  • Deluge (mythology) — The story of a Great Flood (also known as the Deluge) sent by a deity or deities to destroy civilization as an act of divine retribution is a widespread theme among many cultural myths. Though it is best known in modern times through the Biblical …   Wikipedia

  • Dionysius (ambassador) — Dionysius was a Greek of the 3rd century BCE, who was sent as ambassador to the court of the Indian emperor Ashoka, by Ptolemy Philadelphus.[1] He was preceded in this role by Megasthenes, ambassador to Chandragupta Maurya, and Deimachus,… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”