The Greco-Bactrian Kingdom
Greek kings rule the 'land of a thousand cities' on the Oxus
Around 250 BC the satrap Diodotus broke away from the Seleucids, creating an independent Greek kingdom in Bactria whose kings later pushed into India. Their lifelike coin portraits are masterpieces, and a 169-gram gold coin of Eucratides is the largest surviving coin of antiquity.
Wikipedia (Russian) · Wikipedia (English) · 3rd century BC
Meanwhile around the world (±25 years)
Europe
- 264 BC–241 BC The First Punic War — 14 years earlier
Middle East
- c. 247 BC Arsaces founds the Parthian kingdom — 3 years later
Africa
- c. 250 BC The rise of Djenné-Djenno — same year
Alive at the time
- Archimedes (aged 37)
- Qin Shi Huang (aged 9)
- Ashoka (aged 54)
- Eratosthenes (aged 26)
- Liu Bang (Emperor Gaozu of Han) (aged 6)
- Xunzi (aged 60)
- Han Fei (aged 30)