ἐκεῖ γάρ, ὥς φασι, ποταμοὶ ῥέουσιν οὐχ ὥσπερ παρ´ ὑμῖν ὕδατος, ἀλλ´ ὁ μὲν 
γάλακτος, ὁ δὲ οἴνου διαυγοῦς, ἄλλος δὲ μέλιτος, ἄλλος δὲ ἐλαίου. ῥέουσι δ´ 
ἐγγύθεν ἐκ λόφων, ὥσπερ ἐκ μαστῶν τῆς γῆς. πάντα δὲ ταῦτα τῶν παρ´ ἡμῖν 
ἄπειρον διαφέρει πρός τε ἡδονὴν καὶ δύναμιν. τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἐνθάδε γλίσχρως καὶ 
μόλις ἀπὸ ζῴων τινῶν καὶ φυτῶν συλλέγομεν, καρποὺς ξύλων βρίζοντες καὶ 
 τροφὴν ζῴων βδάλλοντες καὶ βλίττοντες, τὰ δὲ ἐκεῖ τῷ παντὶ καθαρώτερα, 
χωρὶς οἶμαι βίας καὶ πανουργίας. οἱ δὲ ποταμοὶ ῥέουσιν ἕνα μῆνα τῷ βασιλεῖ, καὶ 
φόρος οὗτός ἐστιν αὐτῷ, τὸν δὲ λοιπὸν χρόνον τοῖς δημόταις.

For in India, according to report, there are rivers, not of water as in your land, but 
one of milk, one of translucent wine, another of honey, and another of olive oil. And 
these streams spring from hills near by, as if from the breasts of Mother Earth. 
And all these products are immeasurably superior to those we have both in flavour 
and in potency.For what we have in our country we gather in scanty measure and 
with difficulty from certain animals and plants, crushing the fruits of trees and plants 
and extracting the food of living creatures by milking and by robbing the hive ; while 
the products of India are altogether purer, untainted, methinks, by violence and 
ruthlessness. Moreover, the rivers flow during one month for the king, and that 
constitutes his tribute, while for the rest of the year they flow for the people.

Trad. anglaise : J.W. COHOON - H. Lamar CROSBY, Dio Chrysostom.  
Vol. III. London, Heinemann, 1940