Asii

This article is about an ancient Central Asian tribe. For an Eastern European tribe, see Osi (ancient tribe). For other uses, see Osian.

The Asii, Osii, Ossii, Asoi, Asioi, Asini or Aseni were an ancient Indo-European people of Central Asia, during the 2nd and 1st centuries BCE. Known only from Classical Greek and Roman sources, they were one of the peoples held to be responsible for the downfall of the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom.[1] In Greek Mythology they were the children of Iapetus and Asia.

Modern scholars have attempted to identify the Asii with other peoples known from European and Chinese sources including the: Yuezhi, Tocharians, Issedones/Wusun and/or Alans.

  1. ^ Unesco Staff (1 January 1994). History of Civilizations of Central Asia. UNESCO. p. 488. ISBN 9231028464. Retrieved 13 February 2015.