Nicolaus of Damascus (
Greek '''''',
Nikolāos Damaskēnos) was a
Syrian historian and
philosopher who lived during the
Augustan age of the
Roman Empire. His name is derived from that of his birthplace,
Damascus. He was an intimate friend of
Herod the Great, whom he survived by a number of years.
His chief work was a
universal history in 144 books, of which only a few fragments remain. He also wrote an
autobiography, a life of Augustus, a life of Herod, and some philosophical works.
Nicolaus is famous for his account of an
embassy sent by an Indian king "named Pandion (
Pandyan kingdom?) or, according to others,
Porus" to
Augustus around
13 AD. He met with the embassy at
Antioch. The embassy was bearing a diplomatic letter in Greek, and one of its members was a
sramana who burnt himself alive in
Athens to demonstrate his faith. The event made a sensation and was quoted by
Strabo and
Dio Cassius. A tomb was made to the
sramana, still visible in the time of
Plutarch, which bore the mention "ΖΑΡΜΑΝΟΧΗΓΑΣ ΙΝΔΟΣ ΑΠΟ ΒΑΡΓΟΣΗΣ" ("The
sramana master from
Barygaza in
India"):
:"To these accounts may be added that of Nicolaus Damascenus. This writer states that at
Antioch, near
Daphne, he met with ambassadors from the Indians, who were sent to
Augustus Caesar. It appeared from the letter that several persons were mentioned in it, but three only survived, whom he says he saw. The rest had died chiefly in consequence of the length of the journey. The letter was written in Greek upon a skin; the import of it was, that Porus was the writer, that although he was sovereign of six hundred kings, yet that he highly esteemed the friendship of Cæsar; that he was willing to allow him a passage through his country, in whatever part he pleased, and to assist him in any undertaking that was just. Eight naked servants, with girdles round their waists, and fragrant with perfumes, presented the gifts which were brought. The presents were a Hermes (i. e. a man) born without arms, whom I have seen, large snakes, a serpent ten cubits in length, a river tortoise of three cubits in length, and a partridge larger than a vulture. They were accompanied by the person, it is said, who burnt himself to death at Athens. This is the practice with persons in distress, who seek escape from existing calamities, and with others in prosperous circumstances, as was the case with this man. For as everything hitherto had succeeded with him, he thought it necessary to depart, lest some unexpected calamity should happen to him by continuing to live; with a smile, therefore, naked, anointed, and with the girdle round his waist, he leaped upon the pyre. On his tomb was this inscription:
::ZARMANOCHEGAS, AN INDIAN, A NATIVE OF BARGOSA, HAVING IMMORTALIZED HIMSELF ACCORDING TO THE CUSTOM OF HIS COUNTRY, HERE LIES."
These accounts indicate that Indian religious men (
Sramanas, to which the
Buddhists belonged, as opposed to
Hindu Brahmanas) were circulating in the
Levant during the time of
Jesus.
The Jewish historian
Josephus references the fourth book of Nicolaus' history concerning Abram (Abraham).
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