Editing Bactria (section)

=== Greco-Bactrian Kingdom ===
{{Main|Greco-Bactrian Kingdom}}
[[File:Monnaie de Bactriane, Eucratide I, 2 faces.jpg|thumb|Gold [[stater]] of the [[Greco-Bactrian]] king [[Eucratides I|Eucratides]]]]
[[File:Greco-BactrianKingdomMap.jpg|thumb|Map of the [[Greco-Bactrian Kingdom]] at its maximum extent, circa 180 BC.]]

Considerable difficulties faced by the Seleucid kings and the attacks of Pharaoh [[Ptolemy II Philadelphus]] gave the satrap of Bactria, [[Diodotus I]], the opportunity to declare independence about 245 BC and conquer [[Sogdia]]. He was the founder of the [[Greco-Bactrian Kingdom]]. Diodotus and his successors were able to maintain themselves against the attacks of the Seleucids—particularly from [[Antiochus III the Great]], who was ultimately defeated by the [[Roman Republic|Romans]] (190 BC).

The Greco-Bactrians were so powerful that they were able to expand their territory as far as [[South Asia]]:
{{blockquote|As for Bactria, a part of it lies alongside Aria towards the north, though most of it lies above Aria and to the east of it. And much of it produces everything except oil. 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 Bactria and beyond, but also of India, as [[Apollodorus of Artemita]] says: and more tribes were subdued by them than by Alexander...."<ref>[[Strabo]] {{cite web| url = https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Strab.+11.11.1&redirect=true| title = Geography, Book 11, chapter 11, section 1}}</ref>}}

The last Greco-Bactrian king [[Heliocles I]] lost control of Bactria to nomadic invaders near the end of the 2nd century BC, at which point Greek political power ceased in Bactria, but Greek cultural influence continued for many more centuries.<ref>Jakobsson, Jens. "The Greeks of Afghanistan Revisited." Nomismatika Khronika (2007): page 17.</ref> The Greco-Bactrians used the [[Greek language]] for administrative purposes, and the local [[Bactrian language]] was also Hellenized, as suggested by its adoption of the Greek alphabet and Greek loanwords.<ref>UCLA Language Materials Project: Language Profile: [http://www.lmp.ucla.edu/Profile.aspx?LangID=64&menu=004 Pashto] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090103185916/http://lmp.ucla.edu/Profile.aspx?LangID=64&menu=004 |date=3 January 2009 }}</ref>