The study of the Hellenistic period has produced a historical construction of the various relationships that formed between the Greco-Macedonian settlers and the natives they came into contact with. Hellenic kings established kingdoms as far as modern day Pakistan, Afghanistan and India, bringing them into contact with the Persian and Indian natives. The study herein is focused on the relationship that formed between the Greco-Macedonian descendants and the Buddhist group that emerged out of India. Numismatic evidence shows that Greco-Bactrian and Indo-Greek kings held political control over regions bordering the Hindu Kush; furthermore, the Indo-Greek coins indicate a relationship between their kings and the Buddhists. Artistic representations found in various cities, such as Ai-Khanoum, illuminate on the cultural blending that occurred as Greek themes began to be represented through local techniques and material. Ancient literature and archeological remains provide further proof of interaction and help to give an identity to key Greek and Indian monarchs. With regard to Buddhism, these monarchs played an important role in the growth of the religion as, alongside artistic expression, the religion had prospered since its beginnings through the aid of royal patronage. In the Greek kingdoms the Buddhists found new mediums of artistic expression and kings that supported their monastic and lay lives; in turn the Greeks saw a pacifist religious group that attracted merchants and wealth. The relationship was mutually beneficial and numismatic evidence from the Indo-Greeks shows that their kings showed favoritism towards the Buddhists. The conclusion herein is that the Greeks provided the structural foundations for the growth of Buddhism who in turn attracted wealth and provided a medium for cooperation between the Greek monarchs and parts of the native population.

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The history of Hellenistic Bactria (northern Afghanistan, and areas of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) is particularly obscure and its reconstruction contentious. Unlike other Hellenistic kingdoms very little evidence survives from literary sources and inscriptions; the best primary source is the large quantity of coins issued under the Graeco-Bactrian kings who ruled the area from the third century to the mid first century BC. With limited details of the find spots of the coins and only a few published hoards, their use has often been limited to a superficial analysis of their iconography. This thesis presents the results of a die study, an approach to studying the coins that can give many insights into the way they were produced. The coins of six kings (Euthydemus I, Demetrius I, Euthydemus II, Pantaleon, Agathocles, and Antimachus I) are included. Different mints and rhythms of production can be identified, and the overall size of the coinages estimated. Using a thorough understanding of their production this thesis proposes a new, soundly-based, history of the Graeco-Bactrian kingdom under these kings.

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This thesis examines the art of Babylonia, Iran and Bactria after the Macedonian conquest, from c.330 to c.100 BC, in light of current developments in archaeological theory of cultural interaction. In order to illustrate the character and scale of these interactions, the thesis presents a discussion of iconographic material ranging from architectural ornament and sculpture to minor arts. Chapters II-IV discuss the material from each site, highlighting regional characteristics and differences between media. Chapters V-VII use three cross-sections to examine cultural interaction visible in material used for different social functions (‘spheres’). The ‘sphere of gods’ discusses religious architectural ornament and iconography, and the implications for our interpretation of cult in Babylonia, Iran and Bactria in this period. The ‘sphere of kings’ considers ruler representation and the physical appearance of ‘royal space’ while the ‘sphere of citizens and subjects’ discusses material made and used by the wider populace. Macedonian rule and the influx of settlers to Babylonia, Iran and Bactria developed networks of exchange, transmission and transformation creating ‘visually multi-lingual’ societies. The adoption of new artistic influences did not replace all existing traditions or necessarily infringe ethnic identities. There was selective adoption and adaptation of iconography, styles and forms to suit the new patrons and contexts. This cultural co-existence included some combinations of features from different artistic traditions into individual compositions, emphasising how visual languages were not closed-off, rigidly defined or static. Patrons were not confined to using the visual language associated with their ethnicity or current location. There was flexibility of use and meaning, which may present a useful model in the study of other areas of cultural interaction in the Hellenistic period.

The aim of this work is to classify and analyse the ceramic assemblage of the sector 20 - so-called Citadel - of the site Jandavlattepa in the South of Uzbekistan. This settlement in historical Bactria was inhabited in its latest phase by the Kushans. The here presented pottery was discovered by a Czech-Uzbekistan expedition during the years 2002-2006. This work presents the history and environments of the site in order to enable a complex understanding of the pottery assemblage as a whole, in relation to its contexts. The pottery fragments are divided into the groups according fabric, shapes and forms. The decoration types are also accentuated. All these features help to compare Jandavlattepa with analogical sites of Central Asia from the same period.

Jakub Havlík, Vývoj osídlení Baktrie v období helénismu Abstract: Primarily based on the archaeological evidence, the aim of the proposed thesis is to present an image of a settlement situation in the region of Bactria (Central Asia) during the Hellenistic period. The main subject of the study is a comparison of settlement patterns of the Achaemenid and Hellenistic periods, as well as a characterization of settlement transformation, which occurred after the conquest of Alexander the Great, after almost two hundred years of Greek rule in the area. In this thesis, the individual settlement-sites are classified according to their size and their hypothetical function in the whole settlement structure. Besides the morphology of the site, their position was examined, as well as a distribution and mutual relations within the context of the natural landscape. Attention was paid to larger sites (cities, fortified settlements), and minor ones (rural settlements) and their agglomerations, as well as specific settlement forms, such as fortresses or sanctuaries. All the studied settlements are presented in form of catalogue and maps. Data analysis shows that a huge decrease in settlement structure and a break in development can be observed in relatively large part of Bactria, at the end of Achaemenid period, what...

Des rois grecs ont régné sur l'Asie centrale et l'ouest de l'Inde antique du IIIème siècle av. J.C. jusqu'au début de l'ère chrétienne. Ils laissent une image belliqueuse, car le fondement de leur pouvoir fut d'abord militaire. Des indices permettent d'envisager qu'à l'instar des autres souverains hellénistiques ils diffusèrent leurs portraits, mirent en place un culte royal, associèrent parfois leur fils au pouvoir, vécurent entourés d'une cour royale itinérante. Leur gestion économique fut suffisamment efficace pour que la région ne souffrît pas des guerres fréquentes ; les voies de communication furent préservées, le commerce et l'irrigation se développèrent, le système fiscal et administratif semble comparable en efficacité à celui des Perses ou des Séleucides. L'originalité de ces souverains réside dans leur adaptation aux milieux linguistiques et religieux : s'ils défendirent la langue et la culture grecque, pour des raisons identitaires et politiques, ils usèrent parfois du bilinguisme dans les monnaies et y firent graver des dieux compatibles avec les croyances ou les habitudes picturales locales. On peut envisager qu'au tournant de l'ère chrétienne les Grecs aient été lentement absorbés dans le monde asiatique. / Greek kings' domination in Central Asia and Western Antique India was effective from the IIIth Century BC till the beginning of Christian Era. The Greek kings of Central Asia image appears warlike, because their power was at the beginning and mainly a military one. We may suppose that, according to the example of the other Hellenistic sovereigns, these kings spread their sculptured portraits, organized a royal cult, and sometimes ruled with their son ; a royal itinerant court escorted them. The economic management of Greek Central Asia was so effective that the area prospered in spite of wars : the roads were protected, trade and irrigation developed, their fiscal and administrative system is similar to the Persian or Seleucid efficiency. These kings were remarkable because they adapted to the linguistic and religious environments : they defended the Greek language and culture, for political reasons and to preserve their identity ; the coins they engraved were sometimes bilingual, and we identify on it the image of Gods who are compatible with local faiths or pictorial habits. We may suppose that, circa Christian era, after defeat or disappearance of their kings, Greeks were slowly absorbed into the Asian world.

Central Asia, crossroads of ancient trade routes known as the Silk Road, absorbed for centuries the pulses of travelling cultural influences and created an environment for the existence of original artistic expression, which can be seen in jewellery making as well. The dissertation thesis deals with analysis of the findings from excavation units and individual pieces of jewellery, in most cases made of gold, which were often largely inspired by the culture of the ancient Mediterranean. The historical - geographic perspective of the work is focused primarily on territory of ancient Bactria and Gandhara - southern part of the former Soviet republics of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, then northern and eastern Afghanistan and northern Pakistan. These areas were in the past centers of military activities and political formations, followed up in many aspects on the Mediterranean traditions. These political formations contributed distinctly to the dissemination and preservation of some elements of ancient cultural heritage in Central Asian architecture, sculpture and other fine arts and crafts. Most jewelry findings come from a fairly turbulent period of the 1st century AD, when the territory of Central Asia saw the progressive formation of Kushan Empire. The main part of the thesis consists of summary of the...

The aim of this thesis is to describe forms of Greek religion in the context of Graeco-Bactrian kingdom. The lack of written sources is typical for the region, my analysis is therefore based on archaeological evidence. The first part of my thesis introduces the archaeological sources connected to the religion. A material culture of Graeco-Bactrian kingdom mixes both Greek and local traditions. The second part of the thesis analyses the formation of the Graeco-Bactrian religious identity. I compare the situation with other Hellenistic states, especially with Syria, using postcolonial models based on theories by Rachel Mairs and Irad Malkin. It seems that Graeco- Bactrian kingdom does not differ from other parts of Hellenistic world. The absence of Greek temples is especially remarkable, I suppose that Hellenistic religion inclined to respect local religious traditions. On the other hand, Hellenistic identity did not depend on Greek religion but on Greek education.