Kalanos

Not to be confused with Coenus (general).
Kalanos
Born Sphínēs
c. 398 BC
Taxila
Died 323 BC
Susa
Cause of death Self-immolation
Nationality Gandhara
Other names Calanus

Kalanos, also spelled Calanus (c. 398 – 323 BC) was a gymnosophist, a philosopher from Taxila[1] who accompanied Alexander the Great to Persis and later committed suicide by self-immolation.[2] It was from Kalanos that Alexander came to know of Dandamis, the leader of their group, whom Alexander later went to meet in the forest.[3]

Early life

Plutarch indicates his real name was Sphínēs and that he was from Taxila, but since he greeted people with the word "Kalē!" - perhaps kallāṇa (mitta) "Greetings (friend)" - the Greeks called him Kalanos.[1][4][5][6][7][8] Kalanos lived at Taxila and led an austere life.[5]

Early Western scholarship suggested Kalanos was a Jain, but modern scholarship rejects this notion as Jain ascetics are forbidden from using fire and deliberate self-harm due to their convictions about ahimsa and because Taxila and Gandhara were centers of Buddhism and had no Jain presence at all.[1]

Meeting Alexander

Plutarch records that when first invited to meet Alexander, Kalanos "roughly commanded him to strip himself and hear what he said naked, otherwise he would not speak a word to him, though he came from Jupiter himself."[9] Kalanos refused the rich gifts offered by Alexander saying that man's desire cannot be satisfied by such gifts.[8] They believed that, even if Alexander killed them, "they would be delivered from the body of flesh now afflicted with age and would be translated to a better and purer life."[8] Alexander's representative Onesicritus[10] had a discussion with several sages and Alexander was attracted by the criticism on Greek Philosophy by Kalanos.[5] Alexander persuaded Kalanos to accompany him to Persis[4] and stay with him as one of his teachers. Alexander even hinted use of force to take him to his country, to which Kalanos replied philosophically, that "what shall I be worth to you, Alexander, for exhibiting to the Greeks if I am compelled to do what I do not wish to do?"[11] Kalanos lived as a teacher to Alexander and represented "eastern honesty and freedom".[11]

Death and prophecy

Alexander the Great Receiving News of the Death by Immolation of the Indian Gymnosophist Calanus - Jean-Baptiste de Champaigne - 1672

He was seventy-three years of age at time of his death.[12] When the Persian weather and travel had weakened him, he informed Alexander that he would prefer to die rather than live as an invalid. He decided to take his life by self-immolation.[13] Although Alexander tried to dissuade him from this course of action, upon Kalanos' insistence the job of building a pyre was entrusted to Ptolemy.[12] Kalanos is mentioned also by Alexander's admirals, Nearchus and Chares of Mytilene.[14] The city where this immolation took place was Susa in the year 323 BC.[7] Kalanos distributed all the costly gifts he got from the king to the people and wore just a garland of flowers and chanted hymns.[15] He presented his horse to one of his Greek pupils named Lysimachus.[16] He did not flinch as he burnt to the astonishment of those who watched.[8][17][18] Although Alexander was not personally present at time of his immolation, his last words to Alexander were We shall meet in Babylon.[13][19][20] He is said to have prophesied the death of Alexander in Babylon, even though at the time of death of Kalanos, Alexander did not have any plans to go to Babylon.[21][22]

Legacy

A letter written by Kalanos to Alexander is preserved by Philo.[23]

A painting c. 1672 by Jean Baptiste de Champaigne depicts "Alexander the Great receiving the news of the death by immolation of the gymnosophist Calanus" is displayed at Chateau de Versailles et de Trianon, Versailles.[24]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Halkias, Georgios (2015). "The Self-immolation of Kalanos and other Luminous Encounters Among Greeks and Indian Buddhists in the Hellenistic World". Journal of the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies. 8: 163–186. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  2. ↑ Bar-Kochva, Bezalel (2010). The image of the Jews in Greek literature : the Hellenistic Period. Berkeley: University of California Press. pp. 60–63. ISBN 9780520253360.
  3. ↑ Stoneman, Richard (2012). The Legends of Alexander the Great. pp. 43–47.
  4. 1 2 M'Crindle, J.W. (2004). The invasion of India by Alexander the Great. Whitefish, Montana: Kessinger Pub. pp. 46, 315, 388–9, 346. ISBN 9780766189201.
  5. 1 2 3 Sastri, Kallidaikurichi Aiyah Nilakanta (1988). Age of the Nandas and Mauryas. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 105–106. ISBN 9788120804654.
  6. ↑ Enemies of the Roman order: treason, unrest, and alienation in the empire By Ramsay MacMullen. 1992. p. 317.
  7. 1 2 Yādnāmah-ʾi Panjumīn Kungrih-ʾi Bayn al-Milalī-i Bāstānshināsī va Hunar-i Īrān. Ministry of Culture and Arts, Iran. Vizārat-i Farhang va Hunar. 1972. p. 224.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Chatterjee, Suhas (1998). Indian civilization and culture. New Delhi: M.D. Publications. p. 129. ISBN 9788175330832.
  9. ↑ Plutarch (1998). The Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans. New York: The Modern Library (Random House Inc). p. 847. ISBN 9781853267949.
  10. ↑ Williams Jackson, A.V. (2009). History of India Vol. IX. New York: Cosimo Inc. pp. 65–70. ISBN 9781605205328.
  11. 1 2 Niehoff, Maren R. (2001). Philo on Jewish identity and culture. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck. pp. 153–154. ISBN 9783161476112.
  12. 1 2 Alexander the Great. Robin Lax Fox. 1973. p. 416.
  13. 1 2 Elledge, C. D. (2006). Life after death in early Judaism the evidence of Josephus. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck. pp. 121–124. ISBN 9783161488757.
  14. ↑ The Sháhnáma of Firdausí By Arthur George Warner, Edmond Warner. 2001. p. 61.
  15. ↑ Hunter, W.W. (2005). The Indian empire : its people, history, and products (1886). New Delhi: Asian Educational Services. p. 169. ISBN 9788120615816.
  16. ↑ Sagar, Krishna Chandra (1992). Foreign influence on ancient India. New Delhi: Northern Book Centre. p. 69. ISBN 9788172110284.
  17. ↑ Defending the West: a critique of Edward Said's Orientalism Front Cover by Ibn Warraq. Prometheus Books. 2007. p. 108.
  18. ↑ The Cambridge History of Hellenistic Philosophy edited by Keimpe Algra. 1999. p. 243.
  19. ↑ Borruso, Silvano (2007). History of Philosophy. Paulines Publications Africa. p. 50. ISBN 9789966082008.
  20. ↑ National Geographic, Volume 133. 1968. p. 64.
  21. ↑ National Geographic , Volume 133. 1968. p. 64.
  22. ↑ The philosophical books of Cicero. Duckworth. 1989. p. 186.
  23. ↑ Sullivan, Denis F. (2000). Siegecraft : two tenth-century instructional manuals by "Heron of Byzantium". Washington, D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection. p. 168. ISBN 9780884022701.
  24. ↑ Melissa Calaresu; Filippo de Vivo; Joan-Pau Rubiés (2010). Exploring cultural history : essays in honour of Peter Burke. Farnham, Surrey, England: Ashgate. p. 259. ISBN 9780754667506.
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