Short answers, pulled from the story.
Alexander the Great's military campaign reached the Indian subcontinent in 326 BC. This event brought Greek culture to regions that would later become the heart of Greco-Buddhist art.
The Mauryan Emperor Ashoka converted many of these Greek subjects to Buddhism around 250 BC. This conversion is recorded in his Edicts of Ashoka and established a unique cultural environment where Hellenistic traditions met Buddhist faith.
The Bimaran casket provides one of the earliest known dated examples, suggesting a creation date around 30 or 10 BC. This artifact displays sophisticated iconography including Brahma and Śakra as attendants and Bodhisattvas.
Greco-Buddhist art depicts the Buddha wearing a Greek himation instead of the traditional dhoti loincloth used before this innovation. Standing Buddhas often display contrapposto stance, a characteristic pose where weight rests on one leg, creating naturalistic movement.
The Peshawar Museum in Pakistan holds the largest collection of Greco-Buddhist artifacts in the world, preserving thousands of sculptures and reliefs. The Musée Guimet in Paris houses about 150 artifacts, representing the largest collection outside Asia.