Alexander the Great – Arrian (Translated by Martin Hammond), 2013: Part Two

Alexander the Great: the Anabasis and the Indica

The Indica is the second of Arrian’s texts which he created about Alexander the Great’s time in Asia. Hopefully you have read my previous post concerning the Anabasis, Arrian’s first text. If not, then I suggest having a look at that before reading the rest of this article. The Indica begins with an in-depth description of the landscape and various peoples that inhabit India, however, the main focus is a detailed account of Nearchus’ voyage from India to Susa in Persia. This takes place near the end of Alexander’s reign as king, when he is travelling back through his captured territory following the events at the Hyphasis river.

The first section, a description of India’s natural features, is certainly interesting and Arrian presents his knowledge in an engaging way. Frequently, Arrian makes comparisons between the landmarks of India and Europe. An example of this would be the description of the many rivers in India, where Arrian distinguishes them as being far larger than any in the rest of the world, such as the Danube. I found this section intriguing because it shows a few different things about Arrian. It demonstrates that India was, during Arrian’s lifetime, seen as a dangerous and exotic area that little was known about, other than what Alexander learned during his time there. Arrian describes India in terms that are almost larger than life, the peoples and places are given an almost mythical quality.

Arrian continues to describe the ethnography of India throughout the Indica, with descriptions being given for the various groups that Nearchus comes across during his travels, such as the Fish Eater’s who live by the coast. This section specifically, and any descriptions of the peoples in India, reminds me a lot of Herodotus’ writing. The subject is treated in a way that makes them seem believable, but Arrian gives accounts of events which seem to be typical of myths, including gods being present and other mythological beings. It is an intriguing way to give details of India and Arrian admits that he can’t accurately discuss the entire sub-continent, and this makes the reader feel as though the points that he does make are more believable, even if they are sometimes far-fetched.

The main section, Nearchus’ voyage to Susa, reads more like a passage from a fictional book rather than the almost clinical history which Arrian relies on elsewhere. Nearchus was one of Alexander’s companions who is tasked with leading the fleet on a dangerous journey back towards the West. This is an interesting focus for a longer description as Arrian could probably have selected many other events to discuss in detail. Alexander plays a relatively small part in the Indica, but he is presented in a similar way as in the Anabasis. He is presented more positively, as his flaws aren’t covered at all, and his interactions with Nearchus make him seem like a compassionate and conscientious leader.

A Map of Alexander's Empire

The Indica works well with the Anabasis by the way that it covers an area which is really glossed over in the latter text. The Anabasis discussed Alexander’s journey through Gedrosia, therefore Nearchus and the fleet are not mention in any detail, so it makes sense that Arrian chose to give a bit more detail about this action. The Indica goes into a lot of detail into the exact movements of the fleet. Every time the fleet travels from one place to another Arrian tells us how many miles they have covered and any specific features or events that happen during that time. The narrative continues along this basic pattern, with the fleet moving from point to point and descriptions of the various peoples and places. This structure flows well and easily leads into the next event. I feel as though this text is actually a lot more pleasant to read than the Anabasis, as it is focused on describing a shorter time span.

The Indica is an interesting text. It fits well with the Anabasis, but it also has its own distinct character. Arrian emphasises his description of peoples and the landscape much more than in the Anabasis which helps to create an image of what the world was like. The Indica doesn’t focus solely on Alexander like its predecessor and instead focuses on the world beyond, though he is still an important figure. There is more description of the land, people and features of India which may help the reader to visualise the landscape in which Alexander is operating in the latter part of the Anabasis. This is a pleasant read and could realistically be read in a single sitting, so there’s no excuse not to give it a go! While it doesn’t cover as much information as the Anabasis, the Indica does show more about Arrian’s personal perspectives and reveals more about how distant lands such as India were perceived at the time of writing.