610 ON THE DIONYSIACS OF NONNUS 



became a Christian monk. The hero of his poem is Bacchus or Dionysos, 

 one of whose exploits is the conquest of India, to which several books are 

 devoted. It is with these only that we are concerned, and in adverting to 

 them more particularly, I shall point out what appear to be coincident 

 with Indian traditions or belief. 



The first twelve books are occupied with a variety of matters wholly 

 unconnected with India ; but in the thirteenth, Jupiter sends Iris to 

 Bacchus to direct him to force the impious Indians to drink wine and cele- 

 brate nocturnal orgies, or to expel them from Asia. The king of the 

 Indians is named Deriades, and it is not a very rash etymological specu- 

 lation to find in this an affinity to the Kuru prince Duryodhana. 



In the fourteenth book, Bacchus advances with his army against the 

 Indian Prince, or General, Astrais, whom he defeats on the borders of the 

 lake or marsh of Astakis. After the victory, the water is changed to 

 wine, and the Indians are delighted with the new beverage. Bacchus 

 next proceeds to the river Chain, the waters of which being converted to 

 wine, the Indians become intoxicated, and dropping asleep, fall easy cap- 

 tives to the motley groupe of Corybantes, Centaurs, Satyrs and Nymphs, 

 of whom the Dionysian host is composed. 



The fifteenth and sixteenth books are mostly taken up with the story 

 of NikjEA, a maiden addicted to the chase, residing in a cave of the moun- 

 tains, attended by lions, and inexorably cruel to her lover Hymnus. 

 Bacchus becomes enamoured of her, makes her intoxicated, and violates 

 her. She kills herself, and Bacchus after his victory over the Indians 

 built a town termed Nykcsa, after the Astakian nymph. In all this there 

 is nothing that can be considered peculiarly of Indian origin. The term 

 Astakianmay have been obtained from Arrian, who mentions the Astakeni 

 as an Indian people dwelling between the Cophenes and Indus ; and the 



