The Greeks in Bactria and India c9.s2.208

c9.s2.208

But perhaps the most potent reason was the failure of the Greeks—I am speaking of the Middle East—to produce any real effect upon the civilisations of Asia; Iran in particular, backed by a great religion, was too strong for them. Individual exceptions apart, the Asiatic remained, at bottom, unaffected by Greek civilisation; he had no wish to become a Greek, though he might take what Greeks could give him; he did not regard Greek culture as his culture or Greece as his spiritual home. And if the Greeks could not hellenise Iran, and were not numerous enough to rule her, and were not going to take her into partnership, it was obvious what must happen. Considered broadly, what the Asiatic took from the Greek was usually externals only, matters of form; he rarely took substance—civic institutions may be an exception—and never spirit. For in matters of the spirit Asia was quite confident that she could outstay the Greeks; and she did.