Throughout history and since the first exchanges between India and Greece, the ancient Greeks have been captivated by the intriguing stories of the mysterious gymnosophists of India or the “naked philosophers.”
These philosophical minds became infamous for their austere and ascetic lifestyle along with their enigmatic wisdom. There are numerous Greek accounts of these wise people, offering a fascinating picture of the cultural exchanges and their importance between two of the greatest civilizations on Earth.
Encounters with Alexander the Great
One could argue that perhaps the most famous interactions between Greeks and the gymnosophists took place during the campaign of Alexander the Great in India in 326 BC.
Ancient historians such as Onesicritus and Nearchus described (in their works) the dialogues that the great Macedonian Greek commander had with these naked wise men.
During these dialogues, we can see their distinctive disregard for any material possessions and their truly spectacular willingness to embrace death as a part of life. The philosopher Calanus famously demonstrated this by actually setting himself on fire in front of Alexander in an extreme attempt to showcase his fearless nature.
These examples are only a part of the entire collection of accounts that have managed to paint a vivid picture of the unconventional way of life of the gymnosophists. Porphyry, for instance, noted in his works that these Indian philosophers were strictly vegetarians, much like the Brahmins. Their absolute rejection of garments and clothing, in general, along with their distaste for worldly goods in pursuit of spiritual enlightenment made a deep impression on the Greeks, who were genuinely amazed by the dedication of these men.
Ancient Greece’s views on philosophy of India
For the Greeks and their worldview, the gymnosophists represented a very different and acutely unique philosophical tradition with both many similarities to but also divergences from that of their own. From the accounts we have from ancient writers, Greeks saw similarities between the ideas from gymnosophists of India and their own Greek philosophical concepts.
The belief of the gymnosophists for example in reincarnation, or metempsychosis, was of particular interest to many. Some scholars even speculated that Greek thinkers such as Pythagoras may have been influenced by Indian thought in the way he shaped his own worldview.
However, it is obvious that the Greeks also noted differences. This is something that probably led to a greater curiosity about and fascination with the Indian gymnosophists. Unlike the gymnosophists, mainstream Greek philosophers tended to engage more with society and politics, becoming much more active in the everyday life of their cities. The radical asceticism of the gymnosophists, however, as well as their rejection of material life was more extreme than most Greeks had ever witnessed.
Asceticism and self-denial—from India’s gymnosophists to ancient Greece
What seems to have impressed the Greeks the most about the gymnosophists and their life was their incredible commitment to self-denial and extreme austerity. These naked wise men renounced almost all possessions and lived in the wilderness away from urban centers of the time.
Their sole goal was to pursue spiritual wisdom through material deprivation. To the Greek eyes, their utmost ascetic lifestyle represented the ultimate mastery over physical desires and earthly attachments. For the Greeks, this was almost inherently difficult to comprehend, as the Greeks had a fundamentally different view, which was much closer to today’s Western standards towards material possessions.
This is the reason why the example of living adopted by the gymnosophists inspired some Greek philosophical movements, particularly the Cynics. The Cynics were the ones who emulated the Indian rejection of social norms and material goods in favor of the perks of asceticism. Christian ascetics also later looked to the Indian philosophers as true role models of self-discipline and pure piety.
India’s gymnosophists and influences on ancient Greece
As is understandable, the gymnosophists played a fundamental role in shaping and affecting the Greek imagination. They appeared as archetypal wise men in works by authors like Plutarch, Lucian, and Clement of Alexandria. Their fascinating way of life continued to amaze later Greek and Roman writers. These writers saw them as exotic embodiments of the philosophical ideal.
More broadly speaking, the Greek encounters with the gymnosophists show us the importance and richness of the cultural exchanges and the discourse of ideas between ancient cultures and civilizations. These Indian wise men expanded many of the Greek notions of philosophy and the possibilities of the ascetic path, even shaping Christianity centuries before the birth of Jesus. At the same time, the Greek accounts give us valuable information about the fundamentals of Indian thought and practice.
