GRECO-BACTERIA 256 B.C -125 B.C

GRECO-BACTERIA 256 B.C -125 B.C

Diodotus, the satrap of Bactria (and probably the surrounding provinces) founded the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom when he seceded from the Seleucid Empire around 250 BC and became King Diodotus I of Bactria.. Seleucid king Antiochus II issued very few coins in Bactria, as Diodotos would have become independent there early in Antiochus' reign.

Gold coin of Diodotus c. 245 BC. 

In 247 BC, the Ptolemaic empire (the Greek rulers of Egypt following the death of Alexander the Great) captured the Seleucid capital, Antioch. In the resulting power vacuum, the satrap of Parthia proclaimed independence from the Seleucids, declaring himself king. A decade later, he was defeated and killed by Arsaces of Parthia, leading to the rise of a Parthian Empire
Diodotus was succeeded by his son Diodotus II, who allied himself with the Parthian Arsaces in his fight against Seleucus II:

Overthrow of Diodotus II (230 BC).
Euthydemus, a Magnesian Greek according to Polybius[12] and possibly satrap of Sogdiana, overthrew the dynasty of Diodotus I around 230-220 BC and started his own dynasty. Euthydemus's control extended to Sogdiana, going beyond the city of Alexandria Eschate founded by Alexander the Great in Ferghana:
Asia in 200 BC, showing the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom and its neighbors.
Euthydemus, a Magnesian Greek according to Polybius[12] and possibly satrap of Sogdiana, overthrew the dynasty of Diodotus I around 230-220 BC and started his own dynasty

Seleucid invasion

Coin depicting the Greco-Bactrianking Euthydemus 230–200 BC

Coin depicting the Greco-Bactrian king Euthydemus 230–200 BC. The Greek inscription reads: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΕΥΘΥΔΗΜΟΥ – "(of) King Euthydemus".
Euthydemus was attacked by the Seleucid ruler Antiochus III around 210 BC. Although he commanded 10,000 horsemen, Euthydemus initially lost a battle on the Arius[1

Expansion into the Indian subcontinent (after 180 BC)

Silver coin depicting Demetrius I of Bactria (reigned c. 200–180 BC), wearing an elephant scalp, symbol of his conquests in northwest Indian subcontinent.
Demetrius, the son of Euthydemus, started an invasion of the subcontinent from 180 BC, a few years after the Mauryan empire had been overthrown by the Shunga dynasty








Usurpation of Eucratides

Silver tetradrachm of
 King Eucratides I 171–145 BC

Back in Bactria, Eucratides, either a general of Demetrius or an ally of the Seleucids, managed to overthrow the Euthydemid dynasty and establish his own rule around 170 BC, probably dethroning Antimachus I and Antimachus II.

 The Indian branch of the Euthydemids tried to strike back. An Indian king called Demetrius (very likely Demetrius II) is said to have returned to Bactria .Eucratides led many wars with great courage, and, while weakened by them, was put under siege by Demetrius, king of the Indians.

Defeats by Parthia
During or after his Indian campaigns, Eucratides was attacked and defeated by the Parthian king Mithridates I, possibly in alliance with partisans of the Euthydemids:Gold 20-stater of Eucratides, the largest gold coin of Antiquity. The coin weighs 169.2 grams, and has a diameter of 58 millimeters.
The Bactrians, involved in various wars, lost not only their rule but also their freedom 

Greco-Bactrian kings
Territories/ dates	Dynastic lineage	Bactrian domain	Expansion into India
280 BCE	Foundation of the Hellenistic city of Ai-Khanoum in Bactria (280 BCE)
255 BCE	Independence of the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom from the Seleucid Empire (255 BCE)
255–239 BCE	House of Diodotus.	Diodotus I
239–223 BCE		Diodotus II
230–200 BCE	House of Euthydemus.	Euthydemus I
200–180 BCE		Demetrius I	Pantaleon
180 BCE		Euthydemus II	Agathokles
180–170 BCE		Antimachus I	Apollodotus I
170–145 BCE	House of Eucratides	Eucratides	Demetrius II
145 BCE		(Destruction of Ai-Khanoum by the Yuezhi in 145 BCE)	(Succession of
145–140 BCE		Plato Eucratides II	Indo-Greek kings
140–130 BCE		Heliocles I	to the
130 BCE	Complete occupation of Bactria by the Yuezhi.