Megasthenes
Sign in to saveMegasthenes ( ; , died 290 BCE) was an ancient Greek historian, indologist, diplomat, ethnographer and explorer in the Hellenistic period. He described India in his book Indica, which is now lost, but has been partially reconstructed from literary fragments found in later authors that quoted his work. Megasthenes was the first person from the Western world to leave a written description of India.
Person · Open Library
- Born
- 0350-01-01
- Died
- 0290-01-01
- Works
- 10
Top works
- Indica
- Megasthenes' Indica
- Ancient India as described by Megasthenês and Arrian
- Megasthenis indica
- Indica
via Open Library + Wikidata
Key facts
- Person.name
- Megasthenes
- Person.native_name
- Μεγασθένης
- Person.occupation
- Historian and diplomat
- Person.notable_works
- Indica
via Wikipedia infobox
Key dates
- Born
- 1 January 350 BCE
- Died
- 1 January 290 BCE
via Wikidata · CC0
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- human
- Gender
- male
- Citizenship
- Seleucid Empire
- Place of birth
- Asia Minor
- Occupation
- Indologist
- Position held
- ambassador
- Languages spoken
- Ancient Greek
Show 3 more facts
- P2348
- Hellenistic period
- P1343
- Pauly–Wissowa
Article
8 sectionsContents
- Biography
- As ambassador
- Assessment
- See also
- References
- Bibliography
- Further reading
- External links
Megasthenes ( ; , died 290 BCE) was an ancient Greek historian, indologist, diplomat, ethnographer and explorer in the Hellenistic period. He described India in his book Indica, which is now lost, but has been partially reconstructed from literary fragments found in later authors that quoted his work. Megasthenes was the first person from the Western world to leave a written description of India.
== Biography ==
Gallery (3)
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Categories
3rd-century BC deaths3rd-century BC geographers3rd-century BC Greek historians4th-century BC births4th-century BC geographers4th-century BC Greek historiansAncient Anatolian GreeksAncient explorersAncient Greece–Ancient India relationsAncient Greek ambassadorsAncient Greek explorersAncient Greek geographers