BACTRI A. 



ISO 



Euthyde 

 mus. 



Bactria. ample was followed by many of the neighbouring 

 * v ' states, which revolted from the power ot Antioehtw, 

 01. '1, deriving confidence and assistance, each from the 

 success of t! others, gained the liberty at which 

 they aspired. The martial virtues, which enabled 

 Theodottis to take possession of the kingdom, pre- 

 served it in his hand during the remainder of his life, 

 and, at his death, placed the crown upon the head 



of hi." M2f 



Theodotus This prince fn;:,""jted the name as well as the dc- 



n - mininions of his father. Ke bejan his administra- 



tion by forming an alliance with ArsaceS; who had 

 wrested Parthia and Hyrcania from the Syrian yoke. 



, But though, by this means, he secured himself from 



attacks of Antiochus, and considerably extended 

 the limits of his kingdom, yet he yielded to the su- 

 perior abilities of Euthydemus, who aspired to the 

 sovereignty of Bactria, and who, at the head of his 

 bold and determined adherents, submitted his preten- 

 sions to the decision of the sword. Theodotus had 

 the misfortune to behold the best blood of his army 

 d in his cause ; and in order to save his life, but not 

 his honour, he fled from the held of battle, and from 

 his dominions, and his victorious rival ascended the 

 throne. But though the wisdom which Euthyde- 

 played might have bent his valour to endure, 

 if not to enjoy, the tranquillity of peace ; yet we 

 may lie assured, that his brave and aspiring spirit, 

 equally formed for counsel and for action, was not 

 displeased when the defence of his country again 

 summoned him to the field of fame. Antiochus, 



B. C. 207. having made peace with Parthia, was still indignant 

 at the revolt of the Bactrians, and, with all the for- 

 ces of his mighty empire, endeavoured once more to 

 reducp them to subjection. But in along and bloody 

 hich was chequered with various success, 

 Euthydemus proved, that he was worthy of the 

 crown, which lie owed not to his birth, but to his 

 ambition ; and that all the efforts of Antiochus 

 would be unable to wrest the sceptre from his hand. 

 But as kings should resort to war only to procure 

 peace, the moment when he understood that Antio- 

 chus despaired of success, he sent ambassadors to that 

 monarch. Being admitted into his presence, the pic- 

 ture which they drew of the calamities of war, of the 

 resources of their monarch, and, above all, of the de- 

 is of the Scythians, who were then rejoicing at 

 ii- mutual destruction, and preparing a mighty 

 army to overwhelm whichever of them should at fast 

 gain the ascendency, had such an effect upon the 

 mind of Antiochus, that he immediately consented 

 to a peace, which was confirmed by the marriage of 

 >( Euthydemus and his own daughter. 

 But the throne of Bactria, which was thus esta- 



Menander. blished, did not, at his death, descend to the son, but 

 to the brother of Euthydemus. Menander, who, 

 however, assumed the government in tiie name of his 

 phew, as soon as he had secured his authority,, 

 longed to signalize his reign on the field of battle, 

 and, at the head of his forces, passed the river Hy- 

 panis, and extended the boundaries of his dominions, 

 by subjugating the kingdom of Sigertis, the exten- 

 sive province of Pattalena, and some other eastern 

 mtries. Proud of past victories, and meditating 



Bactria. 



victories to come, he was arrested by the hand of 

 deatli when just ready to invade Syria. So much * 



was he beloved by his subjects, that the principal ci- 

 ties of Bactria were in arms to claim the honour of 

 his sepulchre, and, to prevent a civil war, his ashes 

 were divided amongst them, and the magnificent mo- 

 numents which they raised, perpetuated the memory 

 ot his fame, and of' their affection. Demetrius, the Demetrius, 

 son of Euthydemus, then ascended the throne. The 

 wisdom and vigour of his administration proved, that 

 he was not unworthy of the sceptre which had been 

 wielded by the martial talents of his uncle, and he 

 not only secured the conquests of his predecessor, 

 but added to them several new provinces, and raised m 

 his kingdom to 'the summit of prosperity. He left 

 his dominions to his son Eucratides, who, pursuing Eucratides. 

 the career of victory which his father had marked out 

 for him, burst, with the whole force of his empire, 

 through the barriers which nature seemed to have 

 placed between his dominions and India, and kindled 

 the fl :mes of war in that country. The dangers 

 which he encountered, and the defeats which he sus- 

 tained, at the beginning of his enterprize, seemed to 

 detract as much from the wisdom of his counsels, as 

 they added to the fame of his valour ; and it is diffi- 

 cult to determine, whether we ought more to blame 

 the temerity of that prince, who could rashly expose 

 himself, with only three hundred soldiers, in an ene- 

 my's country, to be besieged by an army of forty 

 thousand men ; or to admire the consummate skill, 

 and the undaunted courage, by which he could not 

 only extricate himself from such perilous circumstan- 

 ces, but obtain a victory over the besiegers. This 

 victory was only the prelude of future conquest : 

 many extensive provinces in the interior of India 

 were subdued, and the glory of his exploits vindica- 

 ted his claim to the proud appellation of The Great 

 King, an appellation which the monarchs of Persia 

 wished to arrogate to themselves, when exalted to 

 the sublimity of empire. Returning to his paternal 

 dominions, his son, who bore his name, and to whom 

 he had committed the administration in hi3 absence, 

 conspired against his life, insultingly drove his cha- 

 riot over the mangled body of his father, and inhu- 

 manly denied his remains the rites of sepulture. 



Eucratides 17. gained a kingdom by the murder Eucratidt;*. 

 of his fuller, but-the vengeance of heaven pursued II, 

 the parricide. While he was preparing to resist the 

 Parthians, who were invading his dominions, a nu- 

 merous and hardy band of barbarians, issuing from ' 

 the inhospitable wilds of Scythia, passed the river 

 Jaxartes, poured over the four kingdoms of Bactria 

 with irresistible violence, rolled the forces of Eucra- 

 before them, and expelled the monarch from 

 his dominions. Collecting, however, another army, 

 and endeavouring to rouse his countrymen to assert 

 their liberty, Eucratides returned to the doubtful 

 contest ; but, on the field of battle, where he lost 

 his life, the glories of his country were finally extin- 

 guished, and Bactria was precipitated into slavery, 

 from which it has not emerged to the present day. 

 The power of Scythia, under which Bactria groaned 

 for ages, was at last broken by the Huns; but as 

 this warlike people conquered that unhappy country 



