[35,17] τοιγαροῦν μέγιστον νομίζεται πρὸς ἰσχὺν πόλεως τὸ τῶν δικῶν καὶ πάντες ἐσπουδάκασιν ὑπὲρ οὐδενὸς οὕτω. μέτεστι δὲ αὐτοῦ ταῖς πρώταις πόλεσιν ἐν μέρει παρ´ ἔτος. φασὶ δὲ νῦν ἔσεσθαι διὰ πλείονος χρόνου. τοὺς γὰρ ἀνθρώπους οὐχ ὑπομένειν ξυνεχῶς ἐλαύνεσθαι πανταχοῦ. καὶ μὴν τῶν ἱερῶν τῆς Ἀσίας μέτεστιν ὑμῖν τῆς τε δαπάνης τοσοῦτον ὅσον ἐκείναις ταῖς πόλεσιν, ἐν αἷς ἐστι τὰ ἱερά. οὔκουν ἔγωγε ταύτης εὐποτμοτέραν ἐπίσταμαι πόλιν οὐδὲ ἀνθρώπους ἄμεινον ζῶντας, χωρὶς Ἰνδῶν.

[35,17] So it is, you see, that the business of the courts is deemed of highest importance toward a city's strength and all men are interested in that as in nothing else. And the foremost cities share this business each in its turn in alternate years. However, it is said that now the interval is going to be longer, for they claim that the people resent being constantly driven here and there. Yes, and you share also in the sanctuaries of Asia and in the expenditures they entail, quite as much as do those cities in which the sanctuaries are. Accordingly I know of no city that is more favoured by fortune than Celaenae and no people that leads a better existence—save only the people of India.

[35,18] ἐκεῖ γάρ, ὥς φασι, ποταμοὶ ῥέουσιν οὐχ ὥσπερ παρ´ ὑμῖν ὕδατος, ἀλλ´ ὁ μὲν γάλακτος, ὁ δὲ οἴνου διαυγοῦς, ἄλλος δὲ μέλιτος, ἄλλος δὲ ἐλαίου. ῥέουσι δ´ ἐγγύθεν ἐκ λόφων, ὥσπερ ἐκ μαστῶν τῆς γῆς. πάντα δὲ ταῦτα τῶν παρ´ ἡμῖν ἄπειρον διαφέρει πρός τε ἡδονὴν καὶ δύναμιν. τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἐνθάδε γλίσχρως καὶ μόλις ἀπὸ ζῴων τινῶν καὶ φυτῶν συλλέγομεν, καρποὺς ξύλων βρίζοντες καὶ τροφὴν ζῴων βδάλλοντες καὶ βλίττοντες, τὰ δὲ ἐκεῖ τῷ παντὶ καθαρώτερα, χωρὶς οἶμαι βίας καὶ πανουργίας. οἱ δὲ ποταμοὶ ῥέουσιν ἕνα μῆνα τῷ βασιλεῖ, καὶ φόρος οὗτός ἐστιν αὐτῷ, τὸν δὲ λοιπὸν χρόνον τοῖς δημόταις.

[35,18] For in India, according to report, there are rivers, not of water as in your land, but one of milk, one of translucent wine, another of honey, and another of olive oil. And these streams spring from hills near by, as if from the breasts of Mother Earth. And all these products are immeasurably superior to those we have both in flavour and in potency. For what we have in our country we gather in scanty measure and with difficulty from certain animals and plants, crushing the fruits of trees and plants and extracting the food of living creatures by milking and by robbing the hive ; while the products of India are altogether purer, untainted, methinks, by violence and ruthlessness. Moreover, the rivers flow during one month for the king, and that constitutes his tribute, while for the rest of the year they flow for the people.