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BUDDHIST STUDIES IN THE WEST
there were Bactrians, Scythians and some Indians. Dion Chrysostomos died in 117 A.D. During the early centuries of our era there was no lack of contact between South India and Ceylon on the one hand and Alexandria and Rome on the other." Clement could have been particularly well informed about India, if it is true that his teacher Pantainos travelled to India, as is told by Eusebius (±263-339).10 Several scholars believe that Alexandria is mentioned in Pāli texts. The name Alasanda is found four times in the Milindapañha (ed. V. Trenckner 82.23-24, 327.27, 331.18 and 359.29), twice in the Mahāniddesa (P.T.S. ed. 155.5 and 415.11) and once in the Mahāvamsa (XXIX.39).11 Agreement on this point, however, has not been reached by scholars.
About two centuries after Clement Buddha is mentioned by Hieronymus (+347-419) who tells us that Buddha was born from the side of a virgin.12
In the following centuries no knowledge of Buddhism seems to have reached the West. In mediaeval times Christendom venerated two Saints, Barlaam and Josaphat. The legend of these two saints was very popular and versions in many languages (Greek, Latin, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Provençal, Romaic, Dutch and Scandinavian) circulated in mediaeval Europe. When the legend of Buddha became known in Europe, the resemblance with the legend of Saint Josaphat was soon noticed. The first to point it out was an unknown editor of Marco Polo's work who added the following remark to Marco Polo's account of the legend of Buddha: "This is like the life of Saint Iosaphat who was son of the king Avenir of those parts of Indie, and was converted to the Christian faith by the means of Barlam, according as is read in the life and legend of the
8 Ad Alexandrinos 32, 40.
9 J. Filliozat, Les échanges de l'Inde et de l'Empire romain aux premiers siècles de l'ère chrétienne, Revue historique, 201, 1949, pp. 1-29; Ét. Lamotte, Les premières relations entre l'Inde et l'occident, La Nouvelle Clio, 1953, pp. 83-118; R. Delbrueck, Südasiatische Seefahrt im Altertum, Bonner Jahrbücher 155/156, 1955-6, pp. 8-58, 229-308; Franz F. Schwarz, Neue Perspektiven in den griechisch-indischen Beziehungen, OLZ, 67, 1972, col. 18-21.
10
11
1
Eusebius h. eccl. 5, 10.
Cf. H. de Lubac, op. cit., pp. 13-16; Critical Pali Dictionary, I Copenhagen, 19241948, pp. 441-442.
12 Hier. adv. Iov. 1,42; cf. A. Dihle, Buddha und Hieronymus, Mittellateinisches Jahrbuch, 2, 1965, pp. 38-41. Foucher, La vie du Bouddha, Paris, 1949, p. 357: Traditur quod Buddam, principem dogmatis eorum, e latere suo virgo generârit.
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