Nicolaus of Damascus (Nikolāos Damaskēnos) was a Greek historical and philosophical writer who lived in the Augustan Age. His name is derived from that of his birthplace, Damascus. He was an intimate friend of Herod the Great, whom he survived. Bust of Augustus Caesar Imperator Caesar Augustus (Latin: IMP·CAESAR·DIVI·F·AVGVSTVS)¹ (23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), known earlier in his life as Gaius Octavius. ... Damascus by night, the green spots are minarets Damascus (Arabic officially دمشق Dimashq, colloquially ash-Sham الشام) is the capital city of Syria and one of the worlds oldest cities. ... Herod I, also known as Herod the Great was an ancient king of Judaea. ...

His chief work was a universal history in 144 books, of which only a few fragments remain. He also wrote an autobiography, a life of Augustus, a life of Herod, and some philosophical works.

Nicolaus is famous for his account of an embassy sent by an Indian king "named Pandion (Pandyan kingdom?) or, according to others, Porus" to Caesar Augustus around 13 CE. He met with the embassy at Antioch. The embassy was bearing a diplomatic letter in Greek, and one of its members was a sramana who burnt himself alive in Athens to demonstrate his faith. The event made a sensation and was quoted by Strabo^[1] and Dio Cassius^[2]. A tomb was made to the sramana, still visible in the time of Plutarch, which bore the mention "ΖΑΡΜΑΝΟΧΗΓΑΣ ΙΝΔΟΣ ΑΠΟ ΒΑΡΓΟΣΗΣ" ("The sramana master from Barygaza in India"). The Pandyan kingdom was an ancient state at the tip of South India, founded around the 6th century BCE. It was part of the Dravidian cultural area, which also comprised other kingdoms such as that of the Pallava, the Chera, the Chola, the Chalukya and the Vijayanagara. ... For the mythological figures, see Porus (Greek mythology) and Porus (Roman mythology). ... Bust of Augustus Caesar Imperator Caesar Augustus (Latin: IMP·CAESAR·DIVI·F·AVGVSTVS)¹ (23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), known earlier in his life as Gaius Octavius. ... For other uses, see number 13. ... The city of Antioch-on-the-Orontes (modern Antakya; Greek Αντιόχεια) is located in what is now Turkey. ... Definition and Origin of the Term Sramana is derived from Srama --- to exert, effort, labor or to perform austerity. ... Athens (Greek: Αθήνα; see also alternative names) is the capital of Greece, and of the Attica region of Greece. ... Strabo (squinty) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. ... Dio Cassius Cocceianus ( 155–after 229), known in English as Dio Cassius or Cassius Dio, was a noted Roman historian and public servant. ... Mestrius Plutarch (c. ... A broach is a series of chisel points mounted on one piece of steel. ...

These accounts indicate that Indian religious men (Sramanas, to which the Buddhists belonged, as opposed to Hindu Brahmanas) were circulating in the Levant during the time of Jesus. Definition and Origin of the Term Sramana is derived from Srama --- to exert, effort, labor or to perform austerity. ... Statues of Buddha such as this, the Tian Tan Buddha statue in Hong Kong, remind followers to practice right living. ... This article is about the Hindu religion; for other meanings of the word, see Hindu (disambiguation). ... A Brahmin (less often Brahman) is a member of the Hindu priestly caste, the highest in the Hindu caste system. ... The Levant is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in Southwest Asia south of the Taurus Mountains, bounded by the Mediterranean Sea in the west, and the north Arabian Desert and Mesopotamia to the east. ... Jesus, also known as Jesus Christ*, Jesus of Nazareth, and Jesus the Nazarene, is the central figure in Christianity. ...

Notes

• ^  Strabo, xv, 1, on the immolation of the Sramana in Athens (Paragraph 73)
• ^  Dio Cassius, liv, 9.

Strabo (squinty) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. ... Dio Cassius Cocceianus ( 155–after 229), known in English as Dio Cassius or Cassius Dio, was a noted Roman historian and public servant. ...

References

• Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, Harper and Brothers, New York, 1898: "Nicolaus"
• Lightfoot, J.B. 1875. On Some Points Connected with the Essenes: II."Origin and Affinity of the Essenes", note