1840.] from Bactrian and Indo- Scythian coins. 253 



But when the Greek power passed the Indian Caucasus, 

 a new contact of the Greek character with the Oriental was 

 the necessary consequence; there it met with an essentially 

 Indian civilization, seldom affected by any foreign influence. 



After Alexander had flashed like a radiant meteor through 

 those Indian regions, they soon returned under the sway of 

 Indian rulers, and this happened at a period when the power of 

 a new Indian religious doctrine, viz. the Buddhistic, was about 

 to propagate itself with zeal in this direction, together with 

 political dominion. In consequence, the Greek kings of Bactria 

 found in the valley of the Cabul river the peculiar characteristics 

 of India more vigorous and more deep rooted than Alexander 

 did before, and Hellenism* therefore was compelled to begin 

 anew in a narrower circle, and on new ground, the same career 

 it had already run through in a larger one. However, time 

 and strength were wanting to carry out this last experiment. 

 For as the Greek character, at such a distance from the reviving 

 influence of its home, could not manifest itself in these re- 

 motest regions with the same degree of vigour as in the more 

 western spheres of its activity, so it was here most early 

 overthrown. 



With the dominion of the Scythians over Bactria and on the 

 borders of the Indus, the political influence of the Greeks was 

 abolished for ever, and in the sphere of art that influence is only 

 obvious in efforts, waning more and more, though it may be 

 traced even among the Scythian Nomades. 



Thus Bactria and the country to the south of the Caucasus 

 appears as that territory in which Hellenism was first restrain- 

 ed from spreading to the east, and Asia proved here triumphant 

 against the Greeks, but only as destructive of their systems, 

 not as creative of others. For a longer period Greek influence 

 continued to prevail in the empire of the Arsacides, the friends 

 of the Greeks, who did not engage in warfare against Greek 

 civilization, but only against the Roman spirit of subjugation, 

 while the Sassanides called in the spiritual power of a revived 



* Note. — It is proper to remark that this word is used in a peculiar sense 

 by German writers, as referring to that moral and social state consequent 

 on the union of Greek and Asiatic character at that period. — Trans. 



