Hellenistic Greek coins are known for large silver tetradrachms featuring royal portraits. Some of the most naturalistic and complex artistic representations, such as this coin above, were minted in the rather remote region of Bactria, in Central Asia around modern Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. Bactria had been the northeastern corner of Alexander’s empire and was initially part of the vast domains of the Seleucids, which stretched all the way west to the Aegean Sea. The area eventually revolted and became independent under Diodotus I (ca. 245 BC).

Euthydemus himself was born around 260 BC in Ionia, on the west coast of Asia Minor, some 3,100 miles from the Bactrian capital at Ai Khanoum he would later rule from. This shows how fluid the Greek-speaking world was in the 3rdcentury BC – the height of Greek cultural influence across western Asia. Migration – of ideas, people, even kings – was commonplace. It is unclear exactly how he came to Central Asia, but he was likely a competent general and thus installed as a military governor in Sogdia, one of the dangerous frontier provinces. One of his main jobs as governor on the northern frontier would have been defending the Greek settlements and colonies from raids by nomadic tribes, including Mongols, Turkic peoples, and other mountain dwellers.

Above: Portrait of Euthydemus on another late-reign tetradrachm of exceptionally fine style. Struck in the last decade of his reign, ca. 205 BC.

He was successful enough to parlay his success as governor into a bid for the throne of all Bactria around 225 BC. He later faced an invasion from the Seleucid king Antiochus III, who sought to reclaim Bactria 40 years after its revolt. Euthydemus, however, leveraged his experience successfully dealing with the steppe nomads into a compromised peace: he, according to Polybius, “said that if Antiochus did not yield to this demand [to withdraw], neither of them would be safe: seeing that great hoards of Nomads were close at hand, who were a danger to both; the country would be utterly barbarized.” Antiochus, convinced, withdrew and recognized Euthydemus, who consolidated his realm. His son Demetrius the Unconquered (r. 200-180 BC) expanded the kingdom far into India, reaching the Punjab.