The Greek Empires 312 - 60 BC - Rolf Gross

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silver coins.The artifact will be part of the U.S. exhibition “Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul" in 2008 and 2009. In the conterxt of the spread of early Buddhism it is notable that the archeological finds from the 2rd cernt AD onwards show a strong Buddhist presence. An early stupa (1st cent AD) was found 2005 in the vicinity of Balkh. The archeological exploration of Bactria has just begun,promising surprises and a considerable enlargement of our historical knowledge. Photo from National Geographic Magazine Skythians 500 BC- 200 AD GE Map: Skythian Bactria Fantasy painting of a royal Skythian couple by an unknown 19th-cent (Russian?) artist. Photo tripod.com Modern historical accounts of the Scythians often assume that the Scythians were a single tribe called Saka (Sakai or Sakas). But early Greek and Latin texts suggest that the term Scythians referred to a much more widespread group of Central Asian peoples. The confusion is caused by the fact that what was considered Skythian territory covers the vast area from the Caspian to beyond the Pamirs and south into present day Pakistan and Afghanistan, and by the Greeks and Romans calling Sakas and Skythians by the same name:
To Herodotus (484-425 BC), the Sakai were the 'Amurgioi Skythai' (i.e. Scythians from Ammyurgia).Strabo (Gaius Julius Caesar Strabo, 63 BC-24 AD ) suggests that the term Skythais referred to the Sakai and several other tribes. Arrian (Lucius Flavius Arrianus, 92-175 AD), refers to the Sakai as Skython (a Scythian people) or the Skythai (the Scythians) who inhabit Asia. According to Strabo, Bactriana was taken by nomads like Asii/Asio, Pasianoi,Tokhario, and Sakarauloi who had originally come from country on other side of the Jaxartes (Central Asia). The prologus XLI of Historiae Philippae also refers to the Scythian invasion of the Greek kingdom of Bactria and Sogdiana---the invaders are described as Saraucae. Alexander the Great 356–323 BC Alexander the Great, detail of the Pompeian mosaic in the Naples Museum of Archeology Photo Wikipedia Alexander of Macedonia's march east through Syria, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Bactria, and Persia to the borders of India (334 – 324 BC) transformed the cultures of these countries in an immeasurable way. His political success, the conquest and destruction of the Persian Empire may have been important for Greece, but left little more than myths of an undefeatable, godlike hero in the east, which are still being fought over, see e.g. Hinduwebsite. The impact of Greek sculpture on Buddhist art, however, lasted for centuries and spread as far as China, Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia: The Buddha depicted as a Ghandaran prince in a Greek chiton!
Page 1: The Greek Empires 312 - 60 BC Bactr
Page 5 and 6: These political events had little i
Page 7 and 8: Saka or Indo-Skythians 100 AD GE Ma
Page 9 and 10: Ai Khanum or Alexandria on Oxus 329
Page 11: Among the finds were Greek and Indi

The Greek Empires 312 - 60 BC - Rolf Gross

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