Bactria
/ˈbæk.tri.ə/noun
An ancient region of Central Asia centered on the upper Oxus River, largely corresponding to parts of modern Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan.
Did you know?Bactria became a Hellenistic kingdom after Alexander the Great’s conquest, blending Greek political culture with Iranian and Central Asian traditions.
Etymological Timeline
2nd–1st millennium BCE
Iranian languages
Bāxδi
“An ancient Iranian name for the Bactrian region; its deeper meaning is uncertain.”
6th–4th Century BCE
Old Persian
Bāxtriš
“The name of Bactria in Achaemenid Persian royal inscriptions.”
5th Century BCE
Ancient Greek
Βακτρία (Baktría)
“The Greek name for the Central Asian land and satrapy of Bactria.”
4th–2nd Century BCE
Greek
Βακτριανή (Baktrianē)
“The Hellenistic-era regional name, used after Alexander’s conquest and during the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom.”
Middle Ages
Persian and Arabic
بلخ (Balkh)
“The later name of Bactria’s principal city and surrounding region.”
Modern English
English
Bactria
“The conventional historical English name for the ancient Central Asian region.”