l of Buddhist missions in any Hellenistic kingdom has
reached us and the language of the edict, if examined critically, is
not precise. On the other hand, however vague it may be, it testifies
to two things. Firstly, Egypt, Syria and the other Hellenistic states
were realities to the Indians of this period, distant but not fabulous
regions. Secondly, the king desired to spread the knowledge of the law
in these countries and this desire was shared, or inspired, by the
monks whom he patronized. It is therefore probable that, though the
difficulties of travelling were great and the linguistic difficulties
of preaching an Indian religion even greater, missionaries set out for
the west and reached if not Macedonia and Epirus, at least Babylon and
Alexandria. We may imagine that they would frequent the temples and
the company of the priests and not show much talent for public
preaching. If no record of them remains, it is not more wonderful than
the corresponding silence in the east about Greek visitors to India.

It is only after the Christian era that we find Apollonius and
Plotinus looking towards India as the home of wisdom. In earlier
periods the definite instances of connection with India are few.
Indian figures found at Memphis perhaps indicate the existence there
of an Indian colony,[1103] and a Ptolemaic grave-stone has been
discovered bearing the signs of the wheel and trident.[1104] The
infant deity Horus is represented in Indian attitudes and as sitting
on a lotus. Some fragments of the Kanarese language have been found on
a papyrus, but it appears not to be earlier than the second century
A.D.[1105] In 21 A.D. Augustus while at Athens received an embassy
from India which came _via_ Antioch.

It was accompanied by a person described as Zarmanochegas, an Indian
from Bargosa who astonished the Athenians by publicly burning himself
alive.[1106] We also hear of the movement of an Indian tribe from the
Panjab to Parthia and thence to Armenia (149-127 B.C.),[1107] and
of an Indian colony at Alexandria in the time of Trajan. Doubtless
there were other tribal movements and other mercantile colonies which
have left no record, but they were all on a small scale and there was
no general outpouring of India westwards.

The early relations of India were with Babylon rather than with Egypt,
but if Indian ideas reached Babylon they may easily have spread
further. Communication between Egypt and Babylon existed from an early
p