Information on the Scythian invasion of Bactria?

[LDC]

Is there any documentation on this? I read some of Justin's writing, but it does give much information. I'm looking for mention or description of any of the battles during the invasion.

[LDC]

oh come on guys some of you most know something.

[Megas Methuselah]

It hasn't even been a full day yet. Give the boys some time, mane. They'll come.

[stratigos vasilios]

Hehe do you need it for an assignment?

[Fluvius Camillus]

People you can try:

Baktria Researchers
- DeathFinger
- keravnos

Good luck, I also would like to read the answers.

~Fluvius

[DeathFinger]

Hmmm. Those Scythians are mostly Yuezhei and..... honesty I don't know much about hem.

BTW Forget classical Latin/Greek sources, except from Justin I remember Strabo (XI, 8, 2) speaking of them only like this:

But the best known of the nomads are those who took away Bactriana from the Greeks, I mean the Asii, Pasiani, Tochari,1 and Sacarauli, who originally came from the country on the other side of the Iaxartes River that adjoins that of the Sacae and the Sogdiani and was occupied by the Sacae.

If you want something, go read chinese sources

Zhang Qian (Hill 2004, pp. 29, 318-350)

"Daxia is located over 2,000 li southwest of Dayuan, south of the Gui river. Its people cultivate the land and have cities and houses. Their customs are like those of Ta-Yuan. It has no great ruler but only a number of petty chiefs ruling the various cities. The people are poor in the use of arms and afraid of battle, but they are clever at commerce. After the Great Yuezhi moved west and attacked the lands, the entire country came under their sway.

He seems to have visited Daxia (Bactria) c.126-124 BC, and it seems pretty sure that Indo-Greek political presence was kept until c.130 BC in Bactria.

BTW if you're looking for mentions of battles... I wish you good luck. Maybe something about the destruction of Eucratidia (Aï Khanoum), which seems to have taken place a little before 130 BC. The matter is that we don't know if the whole Great Yuezhei invaded Bactria, or if it was the result of one or two of their yabgu (tribes), and if it was gradually done. Knowing the civil wars between Greeks of Bactria in this time, I suppose it was.

Second thought: Parthian are far better documented than Bactrians. Maybe something lays here between lines of classical authors about them.

[LDC]

I see, those are the same sources that I found on Wikipedia, so I assume there's no more info.
What about any battles between the Indo-Saka and the Indo-Parthians? I could find only generic information about that...

[Fluvius Camillus]

I am soon going to order: History of civilazations of Central Asia Vol. II. Will that give insight in this subject or is it more about culture?

~Fluvius

[jirisys]

Well, how lucky, i need to know about the Saka (also known as Skythians) and their migrations, battles, conquest, etc... anybody can help me, or at least gimme the name of the Saka Researchers (Beside Strabo)

~Jirisys (Hooo-Ahahaaa, Hooo-Ahahaaa!

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

That's an Eastern TPC Song

)

[DeathFinger]

I see, those are the same sources that I found on Wikipedia, so I assume there's no more info.
What about any battles between the Indo-Saka and the Indo-Parthians? I could find only generic information about that...

Well, I remember there are some little infos here and there in Indian epigraphy about Yavanas (lijke a general word), but as always when you want to have informations about what happened in Indian in Ancient Times (Alexander's times excepted), it's like searching an oasis without any maps. So battles.... today (correct me if i'm wrong), there's only two things than let us say that there was an Indo-Parthian kingdom which had conquered the Indo-Saka one:
1- Coinage (overstrikes and area of finds)
2 -Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, chapter 38

38. Beyond this region, the continent making a wide curve from the east across the depths of the bays, there follows the coast district of Scythia, which lies above toward the north; the whole marshy; from which flows down the river Sinthus, the greatest of all the rivers that flow into the Erythraean Sea, bringing down an enormous volume of water; so that a long. way out at sea, before reaching this country, the water of the ocean is fresh from it. Now as a sign of approach to this country to those coming from the sea, there are serpents coming forth from the depths to meet you; and a sign of the places just mentioned and in Persia, are those called graoe. This river has seven mouths, very shallow and marshy, so that they are not navigable, except the one in the middle; at which by the shore, is the market-town, Barbaricum. Before it there lies a small island, and inland behind it is the metropolis of Scythia, Minnagara; it is subject to Parthian princes who are constantly driving each other out.

So the metropolis of Scythia (Scythia in India) is under the rule of Parthians.



I took a quik look at some chinese sources but nothing about Indo-Parthians vs Indo-Sakas. There's something about Yuezhei vs Indo-Parthians if we took the Anxi word like a general name for Parthia (and no a dynastic one), in the Hou Hanshou

He (Kujula Kadphises) invaded Anxi and took the Gaofu region

Gaofu was never previously dependent on the Yuezhi. The Hanshu was wrong when it included it among the five xihou (The yabgu Yuehzei). It was a dependency of Anxi. It was only after the Yuezhi defeated Anxi that they took Gaofu.

Gaofu is equivalent to the area around Kabul. Anxi is so refering to the Parthians in general.

That's all I found for now . Even if we know about battles between Indo-Greek/Indo-Sakas/Indian kingdoms/Yuezhei/Indo-Parthian kingdoms, because of the gaps in litterature we cannto have any details on them, and that's really annoying. I would love, really love to know how Demetrios I conquered North-West India

I am soon going to order: History of civilizations of Central Asia Vol. II. Will that give insight in this subject or is it more about culture?

Honestly I dunno, never had access to it. Nevertheless, the titles, chronology and subjects of this book seems to give indications; it's effectively more about culture I suppose

Well, how lucky, i need to know about the Saka (also known as Skythians) and their migrations, battles, conquest, etc... anybody can help me, or at least gimme the name of the Saka Researchers (Beside Strabo)

I learn a lot reading this, even if I suppose you already know it

Otherwise, you can try Keravnos, The Persian Cataphract, or Steppe Merc. But the first one and the third one are rarely here thoses times...