Peucolaus
Peucolaus Soter Dicaeus | |
---|---|
Indo-Greek king | |
Reign | c. 90 BCE |
Peucolaus Soter Dicaeus (Ancient Greek: Πευκόλαος Σωτήρ Δίκαιος, romanized: Peukolaos Sōtēr Dikaios; epithets mean respectively, "the Saviour", "the Just") was an Indo-Greek king who ruled in the area of Gandhara c. 90 BCE. His reign was probably short and insignificant, since he left only a few coins, but the relations of the latter Indo-Greek kings remain largely obscure.
His name could be interpreted as "The man from Pushkalavati". Pushkalavati was the historic capital of Gandhara located in the Valley of Peshawar.
Coinage[edit]
Peucolaus struck rare Indian standard silver coins with portrait in diadem, and a reverse of a standing Zeus, which resemble the reverse of contemporary kings Heliokles II and Archebios. The latter has overstruck two coins of Peucolaos.
He also issued bilingual bronzes with Artemis and a crowned woman with a palm branch, perhaps a city-goddess or a personification of Tyche, the deity for good luck.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "Monnaies Greco-Bactriennes et Indo-Grecques", Osmund Bopearachchi, Bibliotheque Nationale, 1991, p.309
- ^ Di Castro, Angelo Andrea (January 2017). "Crowns, Horns and Goddesses Appropriation of Symbols in Gandhāra and Beyond". In Bapat, Jayant Bhalchandra; Mabbett, Ian (eds.). Conceiving the Goddess: transformation and appropriation in Indic religions. Monash University Publishing. pp. 38–39.
Bibliography[edit]
- The Greeks in Bactria and India, W. W. Tarn, Cambridge University Press.
- The Coin Types of the Indo-Greek Kings, 256-54 B.C., A. K. Narain
- Le Roi Peukolaos