The Greeks in Bactria and India c10.s5.73

c10.s5.73

It is time to consider the Greek writers.³ Apollodorus attributes the conquest of the Bactrian kingdom to four nomad peoples, Asii, Pasiani, Tochari, and Sacarauli;⁴ ‘Trogus’ source’ formally attributes it to two, Asiani and Saraucae,⁵ though subsequently he mentions the Tochari (p. 286). Taking ‘Trogus’ source’ first, one of his two names must represent Chang-k’ien’s Yueh-chi; and as the Saraucae (Sacaraucae), of whom something is known (p. 291), are out of the question, the Yueh-chi are the Asiani. The form Asiani is an (Iranian) adjectival form of Apollodorus’ Asii, which is the substantival form; the Asii therefore are the Yueh-chi, whether (as some have supposed) the two words be identical, or not.⁶ From 1918 to 1936 it was further believed that a Central Asian text gave the name of a people Arsi who spoke toxrï (Tocharian) and who were the Greek Asii;⁷ the Arsi were accordingly supposed to be the Yueh-chi (or the dominant stratum of the Yueh-chi, which I shall come to) and much has been written about them. It has now been argued, with an impressive wealth of evidence, that Central Asian texts know no such people as the Arsi.⁸ Naturally I do not know myself if this will win general acceptance, but to avoid questions I shall use the name Asii, though in quoting from others I must give the form they use, Arsi.