Atlas of Battles

siege, ancient

Siege of Bactra

Siege of Bactra was a siege conducted in 208 BC at Bactres, in what is now Afghanistan; it lasted about 2 years. It was part of the Seleucid–Parthian Wars, which ran from 238 BC to 129 BC. The recorded result: Seleucid victory; Antiochus signs a peace treaty with Euthydemus; Antiochus III recognizes Euthydemus's reign.

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Map of Bactria.
Map of Bactria.. World Imaging, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought208 BClasted about 2 years
WhereBactres, Afghanistan36.758N, 66.899E
OutcomeSeleucid victory; Antiochus signs a peace treaty with Euthydemus; Antiochus III recognizes Euthydemus's reign
BelligerentsSeleucid EmpireagainstGreco-Bactrian Kingdom
Part ofSeleucid–Parthian WarsAnabasis of Antiochus III the Great

Where it sits in the Seleucid–Parthian Wars

Battle of Mount Labus, 209 BCBattle of the Arius, 208 BCSiege of Bactra, 208 BCBattle of Ecbatana, 129 BC209 BC129 BCSiege of Bactra, 208 BC
4 placed engagements of the Seleucid–Parthian Wars in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date208 BC (year precision)
to 206 BC
PlaceBactres, Afghanistan
36.758N, 66.899E
KindSiege, ancient
Commanders
  • Euthydemus I
Siege of BactraSiege of BactraSiege of BalkhSiege of BalkhSiege of CyropolisBattle of AndkhudSiege of BalkhBattle of AndkhudBaghlanTermizKondozAtamyratQurghonteppaSheberghanPol-e KhomriAybak100 km36.758N, 66.899E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

Contested ground: this site was fought over 4 times between 329 BC and 1447.

In the same war

Elsewhere in 208 BC

Siege of Bactra is one of 193 engagements of the 3rd century BC in the atlas and one of 83 in present-day Afghanistan.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q7509836, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Siege of Bactra, revision 1383108779, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.