Comentarios a Cicerón, De Divinarione I, 47 [El suicidio de Calano]

Abstract

This paper deals with the relations between India, Greece and Rome during the Hellenistic period, specifically from Alexander's expedition up to the late Roman republic. From the analysis of the mentioned passage, which speaks about the suicide of an Indian ascetic in the pyre when Alexander carne back from India, we study the possibility that in the speech Cicero gave to this character there are original ideas from India. We also analyze the role that references to Greek literature play in the speech. Lastly, we consider the possibility that Indian ideas do not exist in the text, and, in this case, we try to define the place India and the ideas about this country had in the philosophy of Greeks and Romans