Calanus
Sign in to saveKalanos, also spelled Calanus () ( – 323 BCE), was an ancient Indian gymnosophist, a Brahmin sage , and philosopher from Taxila who accompanied Alexander the Great and was his teacher. He accompanied Alexander the Great to Persis and, after falling ill, immolated himself by entering a pyre in front of Alexander's army. Diodorus Siculus called him Caranus ().
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- Early life
- Meeting Alexander
- Death and prophecy
- Legacy
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- References
Kalanos, also spelled Calanus () ( – 323 BCE), was an ancient Indian gymnosophist, a Brahmin sage , and philosopher from Taxila who accompanied Alexander the Great and was his teacher. He accompanied Alexander the Great to Persis and, after falling ill, immolated himself by entering a pyre in front of Alexander's army. Diodorus Siculus called him Caranus ().
According to the Greek sources, he did not flinch as his body burned. He bade goodbye to some of the Greek soldiers who were his students, but not to Alexander. He communicated to Alexander that he would meet him in Babylon and Alexander died exactly a year later in Babylon. It was from Kalanos that Alexander learned of Dandamis, the leader of their group, whom Alexander later went to meet in the forest.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Calanus” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.