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Thundering Zeus: The Making of Hellenistic Bactria (Volume 32) (Hellenistic Culture and Society) First Edition

by Frank L. Holt (Author)

4.7 10 ratings

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Thundering Zeus uses an innovative, interdisciplinary approach to resolve one of the greatest puzzles in all of Hellenistic history. This book explores the remarkable rise of a Greek-ruled kingdom in ancient Bactria (modern Afghanistan) during the third century B.C. Diodotus I and II, whose dynasty emblazoned its coins with the dynamic image of Thundering Zeus, led this historic movement by breaking free of the Seleucid Empire and building a strong independent state in Central Asia. The chronology and crises that defined their reigns have been established here for the first time, and Frank Holt sets this new history into the larger context of Hellenistic studies.

The best sources for understanding Hellenistic Bactria are archaeological, and they include a magnificent trove of coins. In addition to giving a history of Bactria, Thundering Zeus provides a catalog of these coins, as well as an introduction to the study of numismatics itself. Holt presents this fascinating material with the precision and acuity of a specialist and with the delight of an admirer, providing an up-to-date full catalog of known Diodotid coinage, and illustrating twenty-three coins.

This succinct, energetic narrative thunders across the history of Hellenistic Bactria, exhuming coins, kingdoms, and customs as it goes. The result is a book that is both a history and a history of discovery, with much to offer those interested in ancient texts, archaeology, and coins.

ISBN-10

0520211405
ISBN-13

978-0520211407
Edition

First Edition
Publisher

University of California Press
Publication date

April 30, 1999
Language

English
Dimensions

6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
Print length

248 pages
See all details

Simon Critchley
93
Hardcover
62 offers from $6.67

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Frank L. Holt is Associate Professor of History at the University of Houston, and author of Alexander the Great and Bactria: The Formation of a Greek Frontier in Central Asia (1989).

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of California Press; First Edition (April 30, 1999)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 248 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0520211405
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0520211407
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.06 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,712,337 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,942 in Ancient Greek History (Books)
- #5,354 in Archaeology (Books)
- #24,955 in Asian History (Books)

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Matajimaya

Numismatics at the service of History

Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2008

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Holt once again brings invaluable information about Bactria. In this book he uses mumismatics extensively. The first two chapters are very interesting. The end of the book is mostly about technical details of the coins and what they can tell us. Thundering Zeus is the figure of Zeus on coins issued by Macedonian kings in Bactria. Holt shows us the importance of the details for placing a date on the coins and for knowing who issued them. For those who are intrigued by Diodotus, I and II, this is a great book. If it is the first book you read by Holt and if you are intested in the history of Bactria, which now covers most part of Afghanistan, you can form for yourself a good idea of what other books by Holt can hold as surprises for you. It could be the gate opened to a new horizon, or just a very enjoyable way to learn about the subject. Holt writes in a simple manner so as to be accessible to all readers and I do appreciate that. Even scholars sometimes need simplicity. In any case, his simple and clear way is still carrying a lot of serious information with notes, bibliography, index, all items History students need. I would recommend this book for research as well as for readers who like to learn more.

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

JPS

Greek Bactria

Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2014

This is another of Frank Holt's books focusing on Bactria, his second one published a few years after "Alexander in Bactria" (1993) and before "Lost World of the Golden King" (2012) which focuses on the latter period of the Greek Kings of Bactria. Given the scant written resources we have on Bactria, he focuses on archaeology and even more on numismatics, his speciality.

The book's title - "Thundering Zeus" - refers to the figure of Zeus holding thunder in his hand and which appears on the coins issued by the Greek Satraps and Kings of Bactria. "Thundering Zeus" focuses on the early days of Greco-Macedonian Bactria, after the death of Alexander and up to the last years of the third century BC. As such, it covers the crucial period of nearly half a century during which the frontier province was organised and developed under the two first Seleucid Kings (Selucos I Nikator and his son Antiochos I Sôter).

It also covers a second period during which the satraps of Bactria became progressively independent from the Seleucid Empire. This took place under Diodotos I, who never seems to have proclaimed himself King and to have formerly broken away, and his more reckless son Diodotos II, who definitely did break away with both his overlord and his father's more cautious policies. It also covers the overthrow of Diodotos II and his replacement by Euthydemus I who managed to maintain himself as King of Bactria despite the aggressive comeback of Antiochus III the Great, the Seleucid monarch.

Despite the rather technical details the author goes into when delving into numismatics, the author manages to tell a rather fascinating story in an engaging way. In particular, he shows to what extent these technical details are crucial because studying of these coins is the main way - and the most reliable one - that allows us nowadays to reconstitute a rough chronology of events. They also allow for glimpses of some of the main policies of the Diodotids and the issues that they were confronted with.

A fascinating section shows that the monetisation of Bactria started to take place under the first two Seleucids, and under Antiochus I in particular when he was his father's co-regent and viceroy for Asia. It did not take place under Alexander who barely had time to conquer this province and Sogdia and was anyway more interested in making them into marches to protect the northern frontier before he moved into India. This monetisation was further developed by the Diodotids and the first one in particular who issued more bronze coins and was clearly walking in the footsteps of his Seleucid overlords in doing so. This is where the author shows that while gold and silver coins were used for prestige purposes, large payments and to pay troops, it is the smaller bronze denominations that were really used in everyday transactions and it is these that would have been the most useful for the population and which would have circulated the most.

Another very interesting section (which is not to say that other sections are not interesting!) is the one where the author shows the drop in the quality and the rise in quantity of minted coins during the reign of Diodotus II. He links this to the increasing problems that he was confronted with, and the rebellion of Euthydemus who would end up by overthrowing him in particular.

There is much more contained in this book, including some interesting insights on the mints 5on Ai Khanoum in particular) used to produce the Bactrian coins, how these have been found since the mid-nineteenth century and the precautions that need to be taken when analysing them - there are many forgeries around. I will stop there for the purpose of this review and just add a few limits.

First, I did not fully appreciate the author's claims about being the first to establish the reigns and chronology of the Bactrian Kings. This is not quite correct, even if the author believes quite correctly that his predecessors either "made things up" (as Tarn typically did) and may have worked on inadequate samples of coins. Second, despite all his qualities, the author's narrative and analyses are also to some extent based on assumptions. However valuable these may be, I somewhat regret that he has not outlined them more clearly.

My third criticism is perhaps the most important one. The author sees the monarchs of Bactria as partaking in Alexander's aggressive heritage "unleashed at Babylon in BC 323 after his death" in the straight line of the Diadochi. In other words, he seems to want to believe that they imitated Alexander's Macedonian warlords in their free-for-all wars after the death of the Conqueror. This is a bit of a problem because in believing this, Frank Holt does something similar to what he blames (quite correctly) Tarn for. He jumps across most of the third century and ascribes to Greek mercenary officers the attitudes and mind sets of the Macedonian warlords, believing that what the Greco-Bactrians wanted above all was to be independent.

The problem here is that he omits alternative and perhaps simpler explanations that are better rooted in the local context. One of these is that with nomad pressure growing on the borders, and little help to expect from their Seleucid overlords embroiled in succession wars in the west during the second half of the third century, the Diotodids could only count on their own forces, and on shoring up whatever support they could within Bactria. Rather than trying to explain the breakaway by some lofty ideal of independence, a more simple explanation for their breakaway would be one couched in terms of survival against foreign attacks, and those of the Parthians in particular.

Anyway, despite these glitches, this is a superb and very interesting book well worth reading. Four solid stars.

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

The Fuzz

Fantastic

Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2011

Verified Purchase

I'm not an expert in this area, to say the least, but this book was high approachable and full of well-backed information. I have no regrets in my purchase. You can't get any better on the subject.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Nigel Planter

Jumpin Jehoshaphat

Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2000

Frank Holt continues his assault on the deity of Alexander in this well-researched followup to "Alexander the Great and Bactria." Holt looks at the foundation and early history of Hellenistic Bactria, starting with the Diadochi. His analysis of the data - including a careful reappraisal of the oft misleading numistics - is fairly convincing. A good book for anyone interested in Central Asia in antiquity, ancient India, and modern historiography of Alexander of Macedon.

10 people found this helpful

Helpful

Brian Geeslin

Illuminating Bactrian Beginnings Through Coinage

Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2000

Holt does an excellent job of updating the Beginnings of the Hellenistic Bactrian kingdom. His book is a much needed repair of the misinformation spread in the beginning of Tarn's otherwise enjoyable book The Greeks in Bactria and India. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

10 people found this helpful

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JPS

Greek Bactria

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 5, 2014

Verified Purchase

This is another of Frank Holt's books focusing on Bactria, his second one published a few years after "Alexander in Bactria" (1993) and before "Lost World of the Golden King" (2012) which focuses on the latter period of the Greek Kings of Bactria. Given the scant written resources we have on Bactria, he focuses on archaeology and even more on numismatics, his speciality.

The book's title - "Thundering Zeus" - refers to the figure of Zeus holding thunder in his hand and which appears on the coins issued by the Greek Satraps and Kings of Bactria. "Thundering Zeus" focuses on the early days of Greco-Macedonian Bactria, after the death of Alexander and up to the last years of the third century BC. As such, it covers the crucial period of nearly half a century during which the frontier province was organised and developed under the two first Seleucid Kings (Selucos I Nikator and his son Antiochos I Sôter).

It also covers a second period during which the satraps of Bactria became progressively independent from the Seleucid Empire. This took place under Diodotos I, who never seems to have proclaimed himself King and to have formerly broken away, and his more reckless son Diodotos II, who definitely did break away with both his overlord and his father's more cautious policies. It also covers the overthrow of Diodotos II and his replacement by Euthydemus I who managed to maintain himself as King of Bactria despite the aggressive comeback of Antiochus III the Great, the Seleucid monarch.

Despite the rather technical details the author goes into when delving into numismatics, the author manages to tell a rather fascinating story in an engaging way. In particular, he shows to what extent these technical details are crucial because studying of these coins is the main way - and the most reliable one - that allows us nowadays to reconstitute a rough chronology of events. They also allow for glimpses of some of the main policies of the Diodotids and the issues that they were confronted with.

A fascinating section shows that the monetisation of Bactria started to take place under the first two Seleucids, and under Antiochus I in particular when he was his father's co-regent and viceroy for Asia. It did not take place under Alexander who barely had time to conquer this province and Sogdia and was anyway more interested in making them into marches to protect the northern frontier before he moved into India. This monetisation was further developed by the Diodotids and the first one in particular who issued more bronze coins and was clearly walking in the footsteps of his Seleucid overlords in doing so. This is where the author shows that while gold and silver coins were used for prestige purposes, large payments and to pay troops, it is the smaller bronze denominations that were really used in everyday transactions and it is these that would have been the most useful for the population and which would have circulated the most.

Another very interesting section (which is not to say that other sections are not interesting!) is the one where the author shows the drop in the quality and the rise in quantity of minted coins during the reign of Diodotus II. He links this to the increasing problems that he was confronted with, and the rebellion of Euthydemus who would end up by overthrowing him in particular.

There is much more contained in this book, including some interesting insights on the mints 5on Ai Khanoum in particular) used to produce the Bactrian coins, how these have been found since the mid-nineteenth century and the precautions that need to be taken when analysing them - there are many forgeries around. I will stop there for the purpose of this review and just add a few limits.

First, I did not fully appreciate the author's claims about being the first to establish the reigns and chronology of the Bactrian Kings. This is not quite correct, even if the author believes quite correctly that his predecessors either "made things up" (as Tarn typically did) and may have worked on inadequate samples of coins. Second, despite all his qualities, the author's narrative and analyses are also to some extent based on assumptions. However valuable these may be, I somewhat regret that he has not outlined them more clearly.

My third criticism is perhaps the most important one. The author sees the monarchs of Bactria as partaking in Alexander's aggressive heritage "unleashed at Babylon in BC 323 after his death" in the straight line of the Diadochi. In other words, he seems to want to believe that they imitated Alexander's Macedonian warlords in their free-for-all wars after the death of the Conqueror. This is a bit of a problem because in believing this, Frank Holt does something similar to what he blames (quite correctly) Tarn for. He jumps across most of the third century and ascribes to Greek mercenary officers the attitudes and mind sets of the Macedonian warlords, believing that what the Greco-Bactrians wanted above all was to be independent.

The problem here is that he omits alternative and perhaps simpler explanations that are better rooted in the local context. One of these is that with nomad pressure growing on the borders, and little help to expect from their Seleucid overlords embroiled in succession wars in the west during the second half of the third century, the Diotodids could only count on their own forces, and on shoring up whatever support they could within Bactria. Rather than trying to explain the breakaway by some lofty ideal of independence, a more simple explanation for their breakaway would be one couched in terms of survival against foreign attacks, and those of the Parthians in particular.

Anyway, despite these glitches, this is a superb and very interesting book well worth reading. Four solid stars.

One person found this helpful

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