Comments by "Winston Smith" (@kryts27) on "Earliest Western Account of India + Caste System // 300 BC Megasthenes // Ancient Primary Source" video.

  1. The indians had writing at the time of the Greek arrivals of merchants, so that account probably is wrong. Possibly Sanskrit by scribes, although this usually was writings by the elite and priestly classes (Brahmins). The ordinary Indian merchants who had business with the Greek merchants had a monetized system and possibly numeracy and literacy.
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  2. The ancient Greeks believed that crossing the equator would fry you with the heat. This meant navigating around Africa to get to India would fry you. This was wrong, but how many beliefs were and are wrong? Nevertheless the ancient Greek coveted Indian spices, particularly pepper, and sailed the Periplus of the Erythranian sea (a navigation book or papyrus) to navigate to India from Egypt via the Red Sea.
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