Reading on Bactrian Greeks? Looking for non-fiction or fiction

[Batty Coalhouse]

Hello esteemed Lead Adventurers,
This is a thanks and introduction. I greatly love viewing and reading your offerings on the ancient - and indeed, other historical - timespans.
I myself have Viking, Saracen and Celt armies that I am putting together. A new one is a somewhat fantasy Amazon force.

My interest has been pricked on the Bactrian Greeks.

So, with time to read in these 'interesting times', do the noble Lead Adventurers have recommendations on books or novels about Bactrian Greeks, or adventurers that venture there.

A favourite author of mine is Robert Low, Scots historical fiction writer.
You may have heard of his 'Oathsworn' Viking series? I recommend all his writing if you like Harry Sidebottom or Bernard Cornwall - although, prepare for a mixing of old Scottish (I find it adds flavour, and despite being an Aussie, I can understand it well enough).

'Brothers of the Sand' is an enjoyable series on ex-Gladiators, tasked with dirty deeds in Scotland, the East and Germany - thrilling, I found.
And my namesake, Batty Coalhouse is a cracking character -- a one-armed Scots bounty hunter, one-time continental mercenary in 16th century Italy and the Germanies. He stars in Low's latest two books, A Dish of Spurs and Burning the Water.

Thanks again for your stimulating hobby chat and pursuits.
Kind regards,
Rob
 

[Fremitus Borealis]

Are you looking more for fiction or nonfiction?

For nonfiction, Frank Holt is a readable authority on the area. Try "Into the Land of Bones" or "Thundering Zeus" for starters.

I'm afraid I can't help much with the fiction end of things. I know Steven Pressfield has at least one novel set during Alexander's campaigns in the area (it may even be called the "Afghan Campaign", anachronism be damned), but that's all I can think of.

[Will Bailie]

Not a book, but I have watched a series called 'Alexander's Lost World', by David Adams, where he journeys through modern Turkeminstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan in search of traces of the Greco-Bactrian civilization along the ancient Oxus River.

https://www.alexanderslostworld.com/

[SJWi]

I thought I answered earlier this morning but my post must be “lost in the ether”.

 Inspired by the other Bactrian thread on the Forum I too was looking at Bactrian Greek period. You can still buy Tarn’s 1951 classic “The Greeks in Bactria and India” , but it is now nearly 70 years old. Frank Holt has written two more recent books but I think they are very academic and use a lot of numismatic evidence. Probably not for the casual reader.

 I have in my library Valerii Nikonorov’s 2-volume “Armies of Bactria 700BC -450AD published by the now defunct Montvert Publications. Obviously broader than just the Greek period.One volume of text the other of illustrations. Worth seeing if you can pick up 2nd hand.

[Batty Coalhouse]

Thank you very much Fremitus Borealis, SJWi and Will Bailie for the books and doco.
I'm looking for either fiction or non-fiction - a cracking tale in either would be great.
I'll check out your tips, thanks again 

[Rochejaquelein]

I'm not sure if this will help, but a few years ago there was this mod released for the historical strategy game Rome: Total War called Europa Barbarorum. A mod is essentially a fan game where you take a game someone made and turn into something new.

In the case of Europa Barborurum, the mod changed the original game from zany Hollywood-style aesthetics (Ptolemaic soldiers looked like extras from The Mummy Returns) to one that had an emphasis on historical authenticity. A heavy emphasis. As in, when you command units on the battlefield, they will speak in their native Latin/Koine Greek/Proto-Germanic/Punic etc. I think even some historians worked on it.

On their website you can read in-character intros to each of the factions (of which one is Bactria).
https://www.europabarbarorum.com/EB1/factions_baktria.html
They even have a list of the different kinds of units the Bactrian satrapy can recruit alongside historical flavor, like about Baktrian cataphracts:

Having no access to many of the Hetairoi of Alexander from which the other Successors formed their heavy cavalry arm, the Baktrians decided to include both Iranians and Greeks in a new force of Hetairoi, supported by the type of huge estates that were required to comfortably arm such a force. Their massive horses are fully barded with iron lamellar. The riders of these horses wear iron plate reinforced with mail at the joints and lamellar leggings. Their helmets were of a Thracian type, but with a face mask made to look like a roaring lion. They carry the xyston and ride with all the prowess of the steppe peoples from which many are descended. In addition, they are armed with a long kopis as well, which is a common weapon in the lands of Baktria and gives an armor smashing punch to these already deadly cavalry. As can be surmised, they are exceedingly expensive, but are probably the heaviest cavalry that can be found on the battlefield. They are so massively armored that they needn’t fear anything but bristling walls of spear points.

Historically, the elite Baktrian cavalry were extremely heavy cataphracts retaining Greek tradition and training. The combination of natural steppe skill and Greek training ethos has rendered these men (who are often of mixed Greco-Iranian stock) some of the finest horsemen in the known world. They are often known to trot into battle and charge at the very last moment, sending bodies flying and riding down enemies with sheer momentum. In their whole history, they were never outfought, not in any battle. The estates from which they were supported were eventually eroded from nomad attacks and the Baktrian Kingdom could simply not afford them any longer. They truly must have been a sight to behold. Perhaps if a worthy leader had taken the throne of Baktria, these men could have cut down those who opposed them, like their Makedonian, Skythian and Persian ancestors.

They even did neat promotional art for different factions. In this case, a duel between a Parthian and Bactrian cataphract.

[williamb]

The Rise and Fall of the Graeco-Bactrian Kingdom by H. Sidky

[SJWi]

Hi, do you have a view on the Sidky book? £22.50 is a lot to pay for a 140 page paperback, especially if like some books I buy half the pages are notes, appendices and an index.

 Thanks

[Irregular Wars Nic]

On their website you can read in-character intros to each of the factions (of which one is Bactria).
https://www.europabarbarorum.com/EB1/factions_baktria.html
They even have a list of the different kinds of units the Bactrian satrapy can recruit alongside historical flavor, like about Baktrian cataphracts:

I'm curious to know why they think the Baktrians used cataphracts. I presume there must be archaeological evidence that has passed me by, because I'm pretty sure there is no evidence in anything I've read, nor on the coins...

Going back to the OP, for a bit of HistFict, The Horses of Heaven by  Gillian Bradshaw is not bad if you can find a copy. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Horses-Heaven-Gillian-Bradshaw/dp/0385414668

[Fremitus Borealis]

I'm curious to know why they think the Baktrians used cataphracts. I presume there must be archaeological evidence that has passed me by, because I'm pretty sure there is no evidence in anything I've read, nor on the coins...

Going back to the OP, for a bit of HistFict, The Horses of Heaven by  Gillian Bradshaw is not bad if you can find a copy. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Horses-Heaven-Gillian-Bradshaw/dp/0385414668

I think because the Seleucids did, and the Greco-Bactrians would have inherited similar lines of military thinking? Not to mention the Parthians, Saka, and so on. Also, any video game (not unlike tabletop gaming) is going to have a bit of "alt-history" worked in as well to keep it interesting and hypothetical. So even if we don't have direct evidence of Greco-Bactrian cataphracts (I honestly can't remember off-hand), it's not a bad guess to assume they would have eventually? Also, IIRC, from that game specifically, cataphracts weren't available to the Bactrian faction until later in the game anyway, after some reform or other, which again kind of makes sense.

[AdamPHayes]

I'm curious to know why they think the Baktrians used cataphracts. I presume there must be archaeological evidence that has passed me by, because I'm pretty sure there is no evidence in anything I've read, nor on the coins...

There is the remains of a set of armour interpreted as cataphracts gear found at a fortress called Ai Khanum in Afghanistan. How common this was though is guesswork.

[Jjonas]

http://www.comitatus.net/greekcataphract.html

Has a decent review of the sources related to the Seleucids.

The transitions from the Bactrian/Massagetai heavy horse armor during the end of the Achaemenid period to fully barded cataphracts are not easily traced. We are told that the Bactrians were riding horses with some armor. Other sources state that Darius III rearmed some of his cavalry at Gaugamela with longer lances to better compete with the Macedonian mounted lancers and xyston armed Companions.

If that is true, then that would probably be the seed moment that then evolved towards the full cataphracts with kontos (a thicker two handed version of the xsyton- which in turn may have been related to the heavier cavalry sarissa that a few of Alexander's cavalry used).

The Bactrian Greek (as we interpret them) were a merger of Macedonian/Greek and Bactrian/Scythian war fighting styles that were able to percolate in isolation at various times after Alexander's death. Breaking away into their own fiefdom and declaring their own king.

Various attempts to reconquer Bactria were attempted by the Seleucids and Antiochus III came away from his campaign with nominal Bactrian submission. His return to the west included the creation of the new 'cataphract' regiments in the Seleucid army that won him the poorly documented battle of Panium (c.200 BC) against the Ptolemaic army defending Syria/Palestine. The cataphracts were successful or abysmal at Magnesia, a real mixed bag- with no real details of how they fought or how the Romans dealt with them (other than a legion running away on one wing, and on the other- chaos routed off all the cataphracts).

So the key tracing factor is the Bactrian/Parni (Parthyans) began in isolation to have some heavier cavalry, the Seleucids copied them. Gradually more and more armor was heaped on the horses until by 100 BC the Parthians had units of true fully armored/barded cataphracts with kontos.

How many of the Bactrian cavalry were kontos armed and fully barded? Were any? Hard to tell. Their neighbors also adopted barding, and invaders also had cataphracts. The fragmentation of the Bactrian kingdom(s) also makes it difficult to believe they had large numbers of cataphracts in their forces. That is all estimated guess work.

"There is no direct evidence for any Bactrian Greeks using horse armor*. Since their Saka, Parthan and Seleucid neighbors all did, however, it is possible that some Bactrians may have copied them." Duncan Head Armies of the Macedonian and Punic Wars. * The revision (2016) acknowledges the fragmentary horse armor find at Ai Khanoum that may date to the "very end of the period".

[williamb]

Hi, do you have a view on the Sidky book? £22.50 is a lot to pay for a 140 page paperback, especially if like some books I buy half the pages are notes, appendices and an index.

 Thanks

While it is quite detailed the book does contain a note and bibliography section starting on page 103

Regarding the number of Bactrian cavalry - they apparently fielded 10,000 cavalry when they engaged the Seleucid army in combat with no infantry due to uncertainty about the loyalty of their infantry.  There were 1000 Bactrian armored horses and 2000 Masagetae armored horses at Gaugamela.   The Masagetae who resided in the territory known as Sogdiana were part of the Greaco-Bactrian kingdom for some time.  See the map at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greco-Bactrian_Kingdom If the numbers remained the same then the Graeco-Bactrians could field at least 3000 cataphracts. 

[AdamPHayes]

.... If the numbers remained the same then the Graeco-Bactrians could field at least 3000 cataphracts.

That’s quite a big “if”. The political reliability of the previous land owning class and loyalty to their new Hellenistic masters would have to be in doubt. Imported and promoted nobility, who will have made up the bulk of the cavalry, seem to have followed Macedonian styles of equipment. The representational evidence is so sparse however, it is an army where “ wargamers’ best guess” will be just about as valid as anyone else’s.

[williamb]

In order to field the 10,000 horsemen to counter the Antiochus III in 206 the army would have included a large number of the native nobility and retainers.  Tarn believes all of them were native cavalry.  When the Greek colonists revolted shortly after Alexander's death they only fielded 3000 cavalry and 20,000 infantry.  In addition to the 3000 armored cavalry at Arbela there were 8000 other cavalry from Bactria.  The Dioscuri depicted on a coin from Eucratides I (shown on page 41 of Sidky) show two horsemen armed with bows and lances on unarmored horses.  Armies of the Macedonian and Punic Wars has two illustrations of Graeco-Bactrian and Graeco-Indian cavalry (52 and 53) taken from a plate and a coin with body armor, bows, Kontos, and no shield.  Other than information that Cretans and Thracians were among the settlers in addition to the Greeks Alexander left in Bactria and later Macedonian and Greek settlers little is mentioned about the type of troops fielded by the Graeco-Bactrians.  As AdamPHayes stated the army is something of a wargamer's best guess though the Field of Glory, DBM/DBMM and other commercial army lists will help avoid having unlikely troop types included in the army.