Ancient Bactria: Land of a Thousand Cities?

Video from Frank Holt's Ancient World

Ancient Bactria: Land of a Thousand Cities?

"Were there really a thousand Greek cities in what is now northern Afghanistan? Have any of them been found? Follow me there and let's find out!" from the video introduction

Bactria - The Bountiful, Sought-after Region of Ancient History

"Bactria was one of the more important historic regions of the ancient and classical world. A central point of more than one defining political event, Bactria experienced thousands of years of important classical history. Empires and kingdoms came and went, but many key cultures were forced to reckon with Bactria. It had a defining impact on the development of Zoroastrianism as one of the key centers of this ancient Iranian religion. Just how early does Bactria appear in documented history, and how and why did it fade away?

Where do the Ancient Origins of Bactria Lie?

The name for this region that we use today comes from the ancient Greek language. Bactria derives from early Persian cuneiform inscriptions, where the name is attested as Bakthri. An even earlier form is found in the Zoroastrian religious text, the Zend Avesta. Here, we find the name Bakhdhi. Some linguists propose that this name stems from the word A-paktra, which means “northern.” This could signify that Bactria was the northernmost Arian settlement. Ariana was a general geographical term used by some Greek and Roman authors of the ancient period for the region between Central Asia and the Indus River in Pakistan, comprising the eastern provinces of the Achaemenid Empire that covered the whole of modern-day Afghanistan, as well as the easternmost part of Iran..." from the article:

Bactria - The Bountiful, Sought-after Region of Ancient History

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