Hand of Phobetor (Afraid of a Shadow)

The Hand of Phobetor is a colloquial term for an event that caused the collapse of the Kingdom of Bactria, as well as the Iron Age Bactrian Civilization, around the end of the eighth century BC. Although some fragments of evidence exist in earlier times, the primary source for this event is a reference in Herodotus (484-425 BC), who lived centuries after the events took place. Many later historians also describe this event, although most of them had been based on Herodotus' work to one extent or another. It is unknown what actually happened, but archaeological evidence proves that some catastrophy took place between 740 and 720 BC.