The Greeks in Bactria and India c10.s5.217

c10.s5.217

The end of the Sacaraucae horde must be noticed here, because of its possible bearing on the dating of the important historian whom I have called ‘Trogus’ source’ (p. 48). So far as one can rely upon Trogus’ Prologues, the ‘perishing’ of the Sacaraucae was the latest incident in regard to Bactria which he related;¹ how far he may have gone in India has been considered elsewhere (*ib.*). The Sacaraucae are last mentioned by name as bringing Sinatruces to the Parthian throne in 77 B.C.,² though it has been supposed that they were the ‘Scythians’ with whom Phraates IV took refuge when expelled by Tiridates in 27 B.C.;³ but this latter date need not be considered, for it is certain enough now that Phraates IV was restored by the Suren from Sacastene.⁴ It seems an inevitable deduction, though it has not been drawn, that it was also the Suren who brought Sinatruces to the throne in 77 B.C.; this is far more likely than that it should have been done by nomads from Bokhara, and it would agree with the now known political orientations of the house of the Suren. Consequently we have no mention which can be trusted of the Sacaraucae as an independent horde later than the conquest of Bactria *c.* 130 B.C. and the associated invasion of Parthia in 129. Trogus clearly couples his account of the ‘perishing’ of the Sacaraucae with his account of the composition of the Yueh-chi horde; and his source can only have given the latter account in connection with the conquest of Bactria, the ‘perishing’ of the Sacaraucae cannot be too far removed in time from that event.