Hippostratos
Hippostratos | |
---|---|
Indo-Greek king | |
Reign | 65–55 BCE |
Hippostratos (Greek: Ἱππόστρατος) was an Indo-Greek king who ruled central and north-western Punjab and Pushkalavati. Bopearachchi dates Hippostratos to 65 to 55 BCE whereas R. C. Senior suggests 60 to 50 BCE.
Rule[]
In Bopearachchi's reconstruction Hippostratos came to power as the successor to Apollodotus II, in the western part of his kingdom, while the weak Dionysios ascended to the throne in the eastern part. Senior assumes that the reigns of Apollodotus II and Hippostratos overlapped somewhat; in that case Hippostratos first ruled a kingdom situated to the west of Apollodotus' dominions.
Just like Apollodotus II, Hippostratos calls himself Soter, "Saviour", on all his coins, and on some coins he also assumes the title Basileos Megas, "Great King", which he inherited from Apollodotus II. This may support Senior's scenario that Hippostratos extended his kingdom after Apollodotus' death. The relationship between these two kings remains uncertain due to lack of sources. Hippostratos did not, however, use the symbol of standing Athena Alkidemos, which was common to all other kings thought to be related to Apollodotus II. The two kings share only one monogram.
The quantity and quality of the coinage of Hippostratos indicate a quite powerful king. Hippostratos seems to have fought rather successfully against the Indo-Scythian invaders, led by the Scythian king Azes I, but was ultimately defeated and became the last western Indo-Greek king.
Coins of Hippostratos[]
Hippostratos issued silver coins with a diademed portrait on the obverse, and three reverses. The first is the image of a king on prancing horse, a common type which was most frequently used by the earlier kings Antimachus II and Philoxenus. The second reverse also portrays a king on horseback, but the horse is walking and the king making a benediction gesture - this type resembles a rare type of Apollodotus II. The third is a standing goddess, perhaps Tyche.
Hippostratos struck several bronzes of types used by several kings: Serpent-legged deity (as used by Telephus) / standing goddess. Apollo/tripod (Apollodotus II, several earlier kings) Sitting Zeus-Mithras / horse, reminiscent of coins of Hermaeus.
Hippostratos bareheaded with Tyche with Greek legend BΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΣΩΤΗΡΟΣ ΙΠΠΟΣΤΡΑΤΟΥ "Of Saviour King Hippostratos".
Hippostratos with standing Apollo and tripod with Greek legend BΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΣΩΤΗΡΟΣ ΙΠΠΟΣΤΡΑΤΟΥ "Of Saviour King Hippostratos".
Overstrikes[]
Azes I overstruck several of Hippostratos' coins.
Greco-Bactrian kings | Indo-Greek kings | |||||||||||
Territories/ dates |
West Bactria | East Bactria | Paropamisade |
Arachosia | Gandhara | Western Punjab | Eastern Punjab | Mathura[2] | ||||
326-325 BCE | Campaigns of Alexander the Great in India | Nanda Empire | ||||||||||
312 BCE | Creation of the Seleucid Empire | Creation of the Maurya Empire | ||||||||||
305 BCE | Seleucid Empire after Mauryan war | Maurya Empire | ||||||||||
280 BCE | Foundation of Ai-Khanoum | |||||||||||
255–239 BCE | Independence of the Greco-Bactrian kingdom Diodotus I |
Emperor Ashoka (268-232) | ||||||||||
239–223 BCE | Diodotus II | |||||||||||
230–200 BCE | Euthydemus I | |||||||||||
200–190 BCE | Demetrius I | Sunga Empire | ||||||||||
190-185 BCE | Euthydemus II | |||||||||||
190–180 BCE | Agathocles | Pantaleon | ||||||||||
185–170 BCE | Antimachus I | |||||||||||
180–160 BCE | Apollodotus I | |||||||||||
175–170 BCE | Demetrius II | |||||||||||
160–155 BCE | Antimachus II | |||||||||||
170–145 BCE | Eucratides I | |||||||||||
155–130 BCE | Yuezhi occupation, loss of Ai-Khanoum |
Eucratides II Plato Heliocles I |
Menander I | |||||||||
130–120 BCE | Yuezhi occupation | Zoilos I | Agathokleia | Yavanarajya inscription | ||||||||
120–110 BCE | Lysias | Strato I | ||||||||||
110–100 BCE | Antialcidas | Heliokles II | ||||||||||
100 BCE | Polyxenos | Demetrius III | ||||||||||
100–95 BCE | Philoxenus | |||||||||||
95–90 BCE | Diomedes | Amyntas | Epander | |||||||||
90 BCE | Theophilos | Peukolaos | Thraso | |||||||||
90–85 BCE | Nicias | Menander II | Artemidoros | |||||||||
90–70 BCE | Hermaeus | Archebius | ||||||||||
Yuezhi occupation | Maues (Indo-Scythian) | |||||||||||
75–70 BCE | Vonones | Telephos | Apollodotus II | |||||||||
65–55 BCE | Spalirises | Hippostratos | Dionysios | |||||||||
55–35 BCE | Azes I (Indo-Scythians) | Zoilos II | ||||||||||
55–35 BCE | Vijayamitra/ Azilises | Apollophanes | ||||||||||
25 BCE – 10 CE | Gondophares | Zeionises | Kharahostes | Strato II Strato III |
||||||||
Gondophares (Indo-Parthian) | Rajuvula (Indo-Scythian) | |||||||||||
Kujula Kadphises (Kushan Empire) | Bhadayasa (Indo-Scythian) |
Sodasa (Indo-Scythian) |
See also[]
- Indo-Greek Kingdom
- Greco-Buddhism
- Indo-Scythians
References[]
- The Greeks in Bactria and India, W.W. Tarn, Cambridge University Press
External links[]
- ^ O. Bopearachchi, "Monnaies gréco-bactriennes et indo-grecques, Catalogue raisonné", Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, 1991, p.453
- ^ Quintanilla, Sonya Rhie (2 April 2019). "History of Early Stone Sculpture at Mathura: Ca. 150 BCE - 100 CE". BRILL – via Google Books.
- Indo-Greek kings
- 1st-century BC rulers in Asia