Calānus
(
Κάλανος). A celebrated Indian philosopher, one of the
gymnosophists. He followed Alexander from India, and, becoming ill when they had reached
Persia, he desired to have his funeral pile erected. Having offered up his prayers, poured
libations upon himself, and cut off part of his hair and thrown it into the
fire, he ascended the pile, and did not move at the approach of the flames. Plutarch says
that, in taking leave of the Macedonians, he desired them to spend the day in merriment and
drinking with their king, “for I shall see him,” said he, “in a
little while at Babylon.” Alexander died in Babylon three months after this. Calanus
was in his eighty-third year when he burned himself on the funeral pile. See Cic.
De
Div. i. 23; Arrian,
Anab. vii. 2, 4;
Vit. Alex.; Aelian,
V.
H. ii. 41, 5, 6; Val. Max. i. 8.