| Summary: | This study deals with the syncretism between Greek and non-Greek
peoples as evidenced by their architectural, artistic, literary and epigraphic
remains. The sites under investigation were in the eastern part of the Greek
world, particularly Ai Khanoum, Takht-i-Sangin, Dilberdjin, and Kandahar. The
reason behind syncretism was discussed in the introduction, which included
the persistence of the ancient traditions in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Bactria
even after being conquered by the Greeks. The Greeks highly respected
these ancient 'repositories of wisdom', and the fluidity and adaptability of
Greek culture was not particularly restrictive to foreign elements. Religious
freedom and the identification of Greek gods with the local gods by the
Greeks appears to have been a primary impetus in some aspects of
syncretism, while functionality appears to have been important in the
architectural adaptations to the climatic and environmental conditions of
Bactria. It was ultimately found that Greek/non-Greek interactions in Bactria-
Sogdiana were more complex than originally thought. Syncretism occurred in
many cultural and biological aspects, in more than the simple Greek/non-
Greek manner. The various non-Greek cultures (viz. Achaemenids, Scythians,
Indians, and neo-Babylonians) also had interactions with each other. There
was also a coexistence of the various cultures and peoples. Further evidence
can only come from renewed excavations in Afghanistan. === Arts, Faculty of === Classical, Near Eastern and Religious Studies, Department of === Graduate
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