Considerations on Two Cruces Philologorum (Ael. NA 15, 15)

The present article aims to elucidate an interesting narrative that forms a portion of Aelian’s paradoxographic work Περὶ ζῴων ἰδιότητος (On the Characteristics Animals, Lat. De natura animalium). passage under discussion describes some horned animals oriental origin were involved in annual fighting contests during one-day competition held on initiative “great king India” — probably Chandragupta (4th–3rd c. BC), founder Maurya dynasty. chapter (NA 15, 15) was perhaps taken from Megasthenes’s Ἰνδικά (Description India). includes two hapax legomena referring species animals: †μέσοι† and †ὕαιναι†. first these should be identified with Ladakh urial (Ovis orientalis vignei Blyth); cf. Prasun məṣé ‘ram, urial’ (< Vedic mēṣá- m. ‘ram’). exact description called †ὕαιναι† clearly demonstrates alleged “striped hyena” (Gk. ὕαινα) must represent chinkara, i. e., Indian gazelle (Gazella bennettii Sykes). Indo-Aryan term for ‘chinkara’ (Ved. hariṇá- m ‘Indian gazelle’, hariṇī́- f. ‘female gazelle’; Pa. Pk. hariṇa- m., hariṇī- f.) suggests corrupted form emended as ὑάριναι [hyárinai]. This seems near-optimal adaptation Pali or Prakrit appellative háriṇā pl. ‘chinkaras’.