Lands of Asia layouts (Eng) 26.11.21

part iii | cultural and spiritual development
the scholar Claude Rapin, they are philosophical manuscripts in Greek relating to the
teachings of Aristotle.
Two short Greek inscriptions were also found at Afrasiab in Sogdia. One of these,
found in the habitation level from the late 4th to early 3rd century BC was carved
on a ram‘s astragalus bone (possibly a game piece) and consists of the four letters
KTHΣ. According to K. Akhunbabaev, this inscription is most likely an abbreviation
for the Greek name of the owner of the game piece – KTHΣ[IOΣ], meaning ‘he who
guards the home’.
The Greek language and script were preserved in Bactria even after the fall of
the Graeco-Bactrian kingdom, as can be seen in the legends on the coins of Yuezhi
rulers of Northern Bactria: imitations of Heliocles, Eucratides and Demetrius coins,
coins of Pseigacharis and Sapadbizes, and tetradrachms and oboli of the founder
of the Kushan clan, Kushan (‘Heraeus’). These legends still feature typically Greek
titles (basileus, tyrannos). However, although their lettering in the legends was often
considerably distorted, they nonetheless indicate that the engravers were acquainted
with developments in Greek palaeography. Thus, in keeping with the general change
in its appearance on later imitations, the letter sigma acquired a new form, the C-like
‘lunate’ or square form, losing its normal, crooked back of the classical form (Σ).
Greek writing and language, in particular titles and epithets such as basileus
basileon (‘King of Kings’), Soter Megas (‘Great Saviour’) and the names of Greek
gods (Helios) are still preserved on the coins of the early Kushan kings Wima Tak(to),
Wima Kadphises and Kanishka I. However, during the reign of the greatest of the
Kushan kings, Kanishka I, in the first half of the 2nd century AD, a radical change
in state policy took place, namely the transition to the Bactrian language and script,
although this was still based on the Greek alphabet with the addition of one letter
known as sho or san. The third line of the Rabatak inscription provides clear evidence
of this: ‘… And he [i.e. King Kanishka] issued a Greek edict (and) then he put it into
Aryan.’ The legends on his coins, where the Greek title basileus basileon is replaced by
the Bactrian equivalent shaonano shao (King of Kings), are further evidence of this.
At the same time, but probably at a much faster pace, the transformation of Greek
legends into local, Sogdian and Khorezmian legends on the coins of the rulers of
Sogdia and Khorezm was taking place.
Coins of Yuezhi rulers of Sogdia from the so-called Hyrcodes or Urkod group,
demonstrate this process especially vividly. On the earliest coins of this group
(probably from the 2nd – 1st century BC), which contains two issue types depicting
a standing figure with a spear, and later a protome of a galloping horse – the legends
on the obverse and reverse sides are still entirely in Greek but convey local names and
titles: ΥРКΩΔОΥ and ОРΔНТРОΥ МАКАРОΥ.
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