50 
V. A. Smith— On the Civilization of Ancient India. [No. 1, 
Grceco-Boman Influence on the Civilization of Ancient India. Second 
Paper.—By Vincent A. Smith, M.R.A.S., Bengal Civil Service. 
PART I. 
While my essay on ‘ Graeco-Roman Influence on the Civilization of 
Ancient India,’ published in Part I of this Society’s Journal for 1889, 
was passing through the press, two important papers bearing on the 
same subject appeared, one in France, the other in Germany. I propose 
to give in this communication some account of the papers referred to, 
and to discuss the views of the writers, especially when they differ from 
those which I have advocated. 
The French essay is written by Mr. E. Senart, and is entitled ‘Notes 
d’ E'pigraphie Indienne.’* The veteran Professor Albrecht Weber is 
the author of the German paper, to which he has given the name of 
‘ Die Griechen in Indien.’f 
Mr. Beveridge, our President, in his Annual Address remarked that 
Professor Weber’s discourse “well deserves to be translated.” It is 
beyond doubt a valuable contribution to learning, but I think an abs¬ 
tract account of its contents, accompanied by a discussion of doubtful 
topics, will be of more interest to the Society than a formal complete 
translation. 
Professor Weber concentrates his attention almost exclusively on 
the literary monuments of ancient Indian civilization, and devotes only 
a few lines to the subject of Hellenistic influence on the architecture, 
sculpture, and numismatic art of India. 
JL6 m + 
912’ 913/ + 
He laments 
the want of works dealing more fully with these topics. I trust that 
I may, without presumption, claim to have partly supplied this want. 
In a much discussed passage of the Mahabhashya, which mentions 
that the avaricious Maurya king offered for sale the images of the gods, 
he is inclined to see the first reference in Indian literature to coined 
money. But this is a very dubious and far-fetched notion. 
The remarks on the words Dramma , Spa^py, and dinar a , Syvapiov , 
are worth translating in full. 
“ The words dramma , Spa^py, and dinara, Syvapiov, in the special 
sense of silver and gold money respectively, remained in use as late as 
* Extrait du Journal Asiatique, III. Paris, Imprimerie Nationale, MDCCCXC. 
f Sitzungsberichte der Koniglicli Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften 
zu Berlin; XXVII, 1890; Sitzung der-philosophiscli-historisclien Classe vom 17 
Juli. 
+ In the references to Professor Weber tbe upper number indicates the page of 
the reprint, the lower that of the Sitzungsberichte. 
