Graeco-Bactrian

## Background

Bactria was conquered by the Achaemenid Persians and one of the eastern satrapies in the Achaemenid Persian empire. Alexander the Great conquered the region after the defeat of Darius and the collapse of the Persian empire. The area retained its native Iranian population but Alexander and his successors founded cities and Greeks migrated from the west to join the Greeks and Macedonians who garrisoned these cities.

The region was conquered by Seleucus, one of Alexander's generals, and then retained by his son Antiochus. In around 250 BCE the satrap Diodotus started minting coins and declared himself king, establishing the first Graeco-Bactrian kingdom.

We know that a history of the Graeco-Bactrian kingdoms was written, but it no longer survives. The history of the kingdoms has to be reconstructed from a few fragments that survive in other sources, from archaeology and from the coins, particularly the silver tetradrachmas, that the Graeco-Bactrian kings minted.

The fascinating thing is how Greek culture could thrive in kingdoms that were largely cut off from the rest of the Hellenistic world. The Graeco-Bactrian kings invaded north west India to establish Indo-Greek kingdoms that survived until around the birth of Christ and that influenced Buddhism.

The Graeco-Bactrian kingdoms themselves fell to invasions of Scythian (also known as Saka) nomads who themselves were fleeing from the Yueh-Chih. One of the Yueh-Chih clans, the Kushans, went on to rule the area for several hundred years.

Our knowledge of the Graeco-Bactrian army is largely based on guesswork. Excavations at Ai Khanum revealed that they continued to use pike, but due to the wide open plains and steppe, cavalry must have comprised the bulk of the Graeco-Bactrian army. Greek cavalry must have been supplemented by the local Iranian nobility and their followers. An entirely mounted army attempted to stop the reconquest by Antiochus the Great. It was defeated and for a few years Bactria reverted to a Seleucid satrapy. After the defeat of Antiochus by the Romans it quickly regained independent status.

Archaeology has also revealed tiles with images of shields, the oval thureos (with winged thunderbolts which are often believed to be Roman but were also used by the Greeks). As the thureos cannot be used with a pike, this implies thureophoroi also existed.

We know elephants were used. These beasts must have been obtained from north west India. Elephants appear on some coins with Nike (victory). Other kings are depicted wearing an elephant scalp.

Apart from civil wars and the invasion of Antiochus the Great, the main threat to Bactria came from the Saka and Parthian nomads who lived to the north and west. Excavations of a fort guarding a pass to the north of Bactria revealed a large number of arrowheads that appeared to have been shot by forces attacking the fort.

## Using Graeco-Bactrian Army in MeG

As a player you have a choice between a combined mounted and foot army or an entirely mounted army. An entirely mounted army is probably easier to play. You have a mix of charging cavalry and horse archers. The mixed version is tricky, using the foot and cavalry effectively together is difficult.

Elephants add an extra fun dimension to this army.

## Troops and suitable miniatures

Greek phalangites and thureophoroi can accurately represent the foot. Cavalry can be a mix of Greek, Parthian and Iranian figures. There are plenty of ranges to choose from.

## References

Two absolute musts if you want to read up on the Graeco Bactrian and Indo Greek kingdoms are:

The Greeks in Bactrian and India by WW Tarn. This dated book was the first attempt to reconstruct the history. It contains many errors but is still a foundation for all studies. ISBN 978933334822. Republished in 2015 in India by Isha Books.

The Indo-Greeks by A K Narain. SBN 19 561946 6. Published in 1980 by Oxford University Press.

There is also good material published in Academia.