Ancient India and Ancient Greece

An exploration of the historical connections

- Surbhi Arora

Today we find many similarities between India and Greece. One may say that it all started with the Gods - most Greek Gods lived on Mount Olympus, while Indian counterparts lived on Mount Kailash. Ambrosia in Greek Mythology and Amrita (Nectar) in Hindu Mythology was

a drink of the Gods that bestowed immortality on those who drank it. Titan Helios, the Sun God rode a golden chariot across the sky that was pulled by seven bulls and Hindu deity Surya rode his flaming chariot across the sky that was pulled by seven horses. Let us now understand the historical connections between ancient India and ancient Greece.

The Greek expedition towards Persia leads to the advent of Greeks in India during the period from the 6th Century BC to the 5th Century AD. They came to India as merchants and traded to the Malabar Coast of Coromandel. They invaded the Indus and the Ganges, the Plateaus of the Deccan and the Beaches of Gujarat. They introduced industrial techniques, helped in the development of Astronomy and helped in building the great school of Gandhara sculpture. Indian astronomy impressed the Greeks to innovate the Zodiac sign. These inklings can be drawn from classical Indian literature of Mahabharta and Yuga Purana (Muhammad, 1963).