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Hellenism in Central Asia and the North-West of the Indo-Pakistan Sub-Continent: The Epigraphic Evidence 1

Hellenism in Central Asia and the North-West of the Indo-Pakistan Sub-Continent: The Epigraphic... Abstract The Greek inscriptions from Central Asia give information mainly on the three centuries before our era, particularly on the 3 rd and 2 nd century BC. In the Greek inscriptions from Central Asia, we notice the absence of any sign of a civic life; the inscriptions, however, clearly show firstly on which cultural frontier the Greeks of Central Asia lived and secondly how proudly they asserted their cultural identity . The presence in Central Asia of a living Greek culture is unquestionable, and the most striking fact is that the authors of the inscriptions were proud of the Greek culture. Their Greek names however do not necessarily reveal the ethnic origin, and we do not know whether among them there were “assimilated” Bactrians or Indians. The Greeks, at any rate, constituted a limited community of people living very far from their country of origin, at the borders of two foreign worlds (Iranian and Indian) which were far bigger and older than theirs. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Ancient Civilizations from Scythia to Siberia Brill

Hellenism in Central Asia and the North-West of the Indo-Pakistan Sub-Continent: The Epigraphic Evidence 1

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Publisher
Brill
Copyright
© Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands
Subject
Archaeology of Central Asia
ISSN
0929-077X
eISSN
1570-0577
DOI
10.1163/157005712X638681
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Abstract The Greek inscriptions from Central Asia give information mainly on the three centuries before our era, particularly on the 3 rd and 2 nd century BC. In the Greek inscriptions from Central Asia, we notice the absence of any sign of a civic life; the inscriptions, however, clearly show firstly on which cultural frontier the Greeks of Central Asia lived and secondly how proudly they asserted their cultural identity . The presence in Central Asia of a living Greek culture is unquestionable, and the most striking fact is that the authors of the inscriptions were proud of the Greek culture. Their Greek names however do not necessarily reveal the ethnic origin, and we do not know whether among them there were “assimilated” Bactrians or Indians. The Greeks, at any rate, constituted a limited community of people living very far from their country of origin, at the borders of two foreign worlds (Iranian and Indian) which were far bigger and older than theirs.

Journal

Ancient Civilizations from Scythia to Siberia – Brill

Published: Jan 1, 2012

Keywords: Hellenism; Iran; Central Asia; India; Epigraphy; Cultural identity; Cultural frontier

References

  • Langue et épigraphie grecques dans l’Asie centrale à l’époque hellénistique
    Bernard P.
  • Deux bracelets grecs avec inscriptions grecques trouvés dans l’Asie Centrale hellénisée
    Bernard P. Bopearachchi O.
  • Deux nouvelles inscriptions grecques de l’Asie centrale
    Bernard P. Pinault G.-J. Rougemont G.