Gold coin of Diodotus c. 250 BC.

Diodotus, Seleucid satrap of Bactria, rebelled against Antiochus II (about 255 BC) and became the founder of the Graeco-Bactrian kingdom (Trogus, Prol. 41; Justin xli. 4, 5, where he is called Theodotus; Strabo xi. 515). The name apparently is related to the title Soter he uses for himself. His power seems to have extended over the neighbouring provinces. Diodotus was a contemporary, a neighbour, and probably an ally of Andragoras, the satrap of Parthia, who at about the same time also proclaimed independence from the Seleucid Empire. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 396 pixel Image in higher resolution (845 × 418 pixel, file size: 550 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Gold coin of Diodotus. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 396 pixel Image in higher resolution (845 × 418 pixel, file size: 550 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Gold coin of Diodotus. ... The founder of the Greco-Bactrian kingdom, Diodotus ca. ... Centuries: 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC Decades: 300s BC 290s BC 280s BC 270s BC 260s BC - 250s BC - 240s BC 230s BC 220s BC 210s BC 200s BC Years: 255 BC 254 BC 253 BC 252 BC 251 BC - 250 BC - 249 BC 248 BC... The Seleucid Empire was a Hellenistic successor state of Alexander the Greats dominion. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Bactria, about 320 BC Bactria (Bactriana, Bākhtar in Persian, also Bhalika in Arabic and Indian languages, and Ta-Hia in Chinese) was the ancient Greek name of the country between the range of the Hindu Kush and the Amu Darya (Oxus); its capital, Bactra or Balhika or Bokhdi (now... Coin of Antiochus II. The Greek inscription reads ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ (of king Antiochus). ... Centuries: 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC Decades: 300s BC 290s BC 280s BC 270s BC 260s BC - 250s BC - 240s BC 230s BC 220s BC 210s BC 200s BC Years: 260 BC 259 BC 258 BC 257 BC 256 BC - 255 BC - 254 BC 253 BC... Approximate extent of the Greco-Bactrian kingdom circa 220 BCE. The Greco-Bactrians were a dynasty of Greek kings who controlled Bactria and Sogdiana, an area comprising todays northern Afghanistan and parts of Central Asia, the easternmost area of the Hellenistic world, from 250 to 125 BCE. Their expansion... Gnaeus Pompeius Trogus, 1st century BC Roman historian, of the Celtic tribe of the Vocontii in Gallia Narbonensis, flourished during the age of Augustus, nearly contemporary with Livy. ... Justin or Marcus Junianus Justinus or Justinus Frontinus, 3rd century Roman historian. ... The Greek geographer Strabo in a 16th century engraving. ... Coin of Andragoras. ...

Independence and prosperity

Diodotus c. 250 BC.

Diodotus wrestled independence for his territory from the Seleucid ruler Antiochus II, who was embroiled in a war against Ptolemaic Egypt: This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... The founder of the Greco-Bactrian kingdom, Diodotus ca. ... Centuries: 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC Decades: 300s BC 290s BC 280s BC 270s BC 260s BC - 250s BC - 240s BC 230s BC 220s BC 210s BC 200s BC Years: 255 BC 254 BC 253 BC 252 BC 251 BC - 250 BC - 249 BC 248 BC... Ptolemy, one of Alexander the Greats generals, was appointed satrap of Egypt after Alexanders death in 323 BC. In 305 BC he declared himself King Ptolemy I, later known as Soter (saviour). ...

Diodotus, the governor of the thousand cities of Bactria (Latin: "Theodotus, mille urbium Bactrianarum praefectus"), defected and proclaimed himself king; all the other people of the Orient followed his example and seceded from the Macedonians. (Justin, XLI,4 ^[1])

The new kingdom, highly urbanized and considered as one of the richest of the Orient (opulentissimum illud mille urbium Bactrianum imperium "The extremely prosperous empire of the thousand cities of Bactria" Justin, XLI,1 ^[2]), was to further grow in power and engage into territorial expansion to the east and the west: Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome. ... Justin or Marcus Junianus Justinus or Justinus Frontinus, 3rd century Roman historian. ...

"The Greeks who caused Bactria to revolt grew so powerful on account of the fertility of the country that they became masters, not only of Ariana, but also of India, as Apollodorus of Artemita says: and more tribes were subdued by them than by Alexander... Their cities were Bactra (also called Zariaspa, through which flows a river bearing the same name and emptying into the Oxus), and Darapsa, and several others. Among these was Eucratidia, which was named after its ruler." (Strabo, XI.XI.I ^[3])

Ariana is a feminine name (also spelled Arianna). ... Apollodorus of Artemita was a Greek writer of the 1st century BCE. Apollodorus is quoted by Strabo as a source for his descriptions of Asia. ... Bactria (Bactriana) was the ancient Greek name of the country between the range of the Hindu Kush (Caucasus Indicus) and the Amu Darya (Oxus), with the capital Bactra (now Balkh). ...

Conflict with Arsaces

Arsaces, the chieftain of the nomadic (Dahan) tribe of the Parni, fled before him into Parthia and there eliminated Andragoras, the former satrap and self-proclaimed king of Parthia, and became the founder of the Parthian Empire (Strabo l.c.). The Greco-Bactrians became cut from direct contacts with the Greek world. Overland trade continued at a reduced rate, while sea trade between Greek Egypt and Bactria developed. When Seleucus II in 239 BC attempted to subjugate the rebels in the east, it appears he and Diodotus united together against the Parthians (Justin xli. 4, 9). Coin of Arsaces I. The reverse shows a seated archer carrying a bow. ... Dahae or Dahan Scythians were ancient Scythian tribes of Iranian origin. ... The Central Asian steppe has been the home of Iranian nomadic tribes for centuries. ... Parthia[1] (Middle Persian: اشکانیان Ashkâniân) was a civilization situated in the northeast of modern Iran, but at its height covering all of Iran proper, as well as regions of the modern countries of Armenia, Iraq, Georgia, eastern Turkey, eastern Syria, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Kuwait, the Persian Gulf... Coin of Andragoras. ... Parthian Empire at its greatest extent, c60 BCE. The Parthian Empire was the dominating force on the Iranian plateau beginning in the late 3rd century BCE, and intermittently controlled Mesopotamia between ca 190 BCE and 224 CE. Parthia was the arch-enemy of the Roman Empire in the east and... Coin of Seleucus II. Reverse shows Apollo leaning on a tripod. ... Centuries: 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC Decades: 280s BC 270s BC 260s BC 250s BC 240s BC - 230s BC - 220s BC 210s BC 200s BC 190s BC 180s BC Years: 244 BC 243 BC 242 BC 241 BC 240 BC - 239 BC - 238 BC 237 BC...

Soon afterwards Diodotus died and was succeeded by his son Diodotus II, who concluded a peace with the Parthians (Justin l.c.). Diodotus was succeeded by his son Diodotus II, who allied himself with the Parthian Arsaces in his fight against Seleucus II: Coin of Diodotus II Diodotus II was a Greco-Bactrian king, son of Diodotus I. He is known for concluding a peace with the Parthians (Justin l. ... Coin of Diodotus II Diodotus II was a Greco-Bactrian king, son of Diodotus I. He is known for concluding a peace with the Parthians (Justin l. ... Coin of Arsaces I. The reverse shows a seated archer carrying a bow. ... Coin of Seleucus II. Reverse shows Apollo leaning on a tripod. ...

"Soon after, relieved by the death of Theodotus [Justin uses a erroneous version of the name], Arsaces made peace and concluded an alliance with his son, also by the name of Theodotus; some time later he fought against Seleucus who came to punish the rebels, and he prevailed: the Parthians celebrated this day as the one that marked the beginning of their freedom" (Justin, XLI,4 ^[4])

Diodotus II was subsequently killed by a usurper, Euthydemus, founder of the Greco-Bactrian Euthydemid dynasty (Polyb. xi. 34, 2). Justin or Marcus Junianus Justinus or Justinus Frontinus, 3rd century Roman historian. ... Coin depicting the Greco-Bactrian king Euthydemus (230-200 B.C.) Euthydemus was allegedly a native of Magnesia and possible Satrap of Sogdiana, who overturned the dynasty of Diodotus of Bactria and became a Greco-Bactrian king in about 230 BC according to Polybius. ... Polybius (c. ...

Coinage

The founder of the Greco-Bactrian kingdom, Diodotus I

Of Diodotus I we possess gold, silver and bronze coins, some of which are struck in the name of Antiochos. As the power of the Seleucids was weak and continually attacked by Ptolemy II, the eastern provinces and their Greek cities were exposed to the invasion of the nomadic barbarians and threatened with destruction (Polyb. xi. 34, 5); thus the erection of an independent kingdom may have been a necessity and indeed an advantage to the Greeks, and this epithet well deserved. Diodotus Soter appears also on coins struck in his memory by the later Graeco-Bactrian kings Agathocles and Antimachus. Cf. AV Sallet, Die Nachfolger Alexanders d. Gr. in Baktrien und Indien; Percy Gardner, Catal. of the Coins of the Greek and Scythian Kings of Bactria and India (Brit. Mus.). Coin from the COIN INDIA site [1], usage allowed for non-commercial purposes according to page [2]. The home page of the site is: [3] This work is copyrighted. ... Coin from the COIN INDIA site [1], usage allowed for non-commercial purposes according to page [2]. The home page of the site is: [3] This work is copyrighted. ... Head of Ptolemy II Philadelphus (309-246 BC), with Arsinoë II. Ptolemy II Philadelphus (309-246 BC), was of a delicate constitution, no Macedonian warrior-chief of the old style. ... Polybius (c. ... For the grindcore band, see Agathocles (band) Agathocles (361 BC - 289 BC), tyrant of Syracuse (317 BC - 289 BC) and king of Sicily (304 BC - 289 BC). ... Antimachus, of Colophon or Claros, Greek poet and grammarian, flourished about 400 BC. Scarcely anything is known of his life. ... Percy Gardner (1846-1937), English classical archaeologist, was born in London, and was educated at the City of London school and Christs College, Cambridge (fellow, 1872). ... The British Museum in London is one of the worlds greatest museums of human history and culture. ...

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain. Coin of Antiochus II. The Greek inscription reads ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ (of king Antiochus). ... The Seleucid Empire was a Hellenistic successor state of Alexander the Greats dominion. ... The Greco-Bactrian Kingdom (or Graeco-Bactrian Kingdom) covered the areas of Bactria and Sogdiana, comprising todays northern Afghanistan and parts of Central Asia, the easternmost area of the Hellenistic world, from 250 to 125 BCE. The expansion of the Greco-Bactrians into northern India from 180 BCE established... Coin of Diodotus II Diodotus II was a Greco-Bactrian king, son of Diodotus I. He is known for concluding a peace with the Parthians (Justin l. ... Encyclopædia Britannica, the 11th edition The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911) is perhaps the most famous edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...