All Topics  
Apollodotus II

 
Apollodotus II

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Apollodotus II
 
 
  Topics Apollodotus II Topic Home

Apollodotus II (Greek
Greek language

Greek is an Indo-European languages native to the southern Balkan peninsula, the language of the Greek people. It forms an independent branch within Indo-European....
: ?p????d?t?? ?`), was an Indo-Greek king who ruled in the western and eastern parts of Punjab
Punjab region

Punjab , also Panjab , is a region straddling the border between India and Pakistan. The "Five Rivers" are Beas River, Ravi River, Sutlej, Chenab and Jhelum River; all these are tributaries of the Indus river, Jhelum being the biggest one....
. Bopearachchi dates him to circa 80-65 BCE, and RC Senior to circa 65-55 BCE. Apollodotos II was an important ruler who seems to have re-established the Indo-Greek kingdom to some extent of its former glory. Taxila
Taxila

Taxila is an important archaeological site in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It dates back to the Ancient Indian period and contains the ruins of the Gandhara city of Takshashila an important Vedanta/Hinduism and Buddhist centre of learning from the 6th century BCE...
 in western Punjab was reconquered from nomad Scythian rule, and according to Bopearachchi, eastern territory was taken back from Indian kingdoms.

Apollodotus II seems to have been a member of the dynasty of Menander I
Menander I

Menander I Soter "The Saviour" was one of the rulers of the Indo-Greek Kingdom in northern India and present-day Pakistan from either 165 BC or 155 BC to 130 BC ....
, since he used their typical deity Athena
Athena

In Greek mythology, Athena is the shrewd companion of Hero and the goddess of Hero endeavour. She is the virgin patron of Athens, which built the Parthenon to worship her....
 Alkidemos on most of his silver, and also Menander's title Soter (Greek
Greek language

Greek is an Indo-European languages native to the southern Balkan peninsula, the language of the Greek people. It forms an independent branch within Indo-European....
: SO??? "the Saviour"), on all his coins.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Apollodotus II'
Start a new discussion about 'Apollodotus II'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Apollodotus II (Greek
Greek language

Greek is an Indo-European languages native to the southern Balkan peninsula, the language of the Greek people. It forms an independent branch within Indo-European....
: ?p????d?t?? ?`), was an Indo-Greek king who ruled in the western and eastern parts of Punjab
Punjab region

Punjab , also Panjab , is a region straddling the border between India and Pakistan. The "Five Rivers" are Beas River, Ravi River, Sutlej, Chenab and Jhelum River; all these are tributaries of the Indus river, Jhelum being the biggest one....
. Bopearachchi dates him to circa 80-65 BCE, and RC Senior to circa 65-55 BCE. Apollodotos II was an important ruler who seems to have re-established the Indo-Greek kingdom to some extent of its former glory. Taxila
Taxila

Taxila is an important archaeological site in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It dates back to the Ancient Indian period and contains the ruins of the Gandhara city of Takshashila an important Vedanta/Hinduism and Buddhist centre of learning from the 6th century BCE...
 in western Punjab was reconquered from nomad Scythian rule, and according to Bopearachchi, eastern territory was taken back from Indian kingdoms.

Apollodotus II seems to have been a member of the dynasty of Menander I
Menander I

Menander I Soter "The Saviour" was one of the rulers of the Indo-Greek Kingdom in northern India and present-day Pakistan from either 165 BC or 155 BC to 130 BC ....
, since he used their typical deity Athena
Athena

In Greek mythology, Athena is the shrewd companion of Hero and the goddess of Hero endeavour. She is the virgin patron of Athens, which built the Parthenon to worship her....
 Alkidemos on most of his silver, and also Menander's title Soter (Greek
Greek language

Greek is an Indo-European languages native to the southern Balkan peninsula, the language of the Greek people. It forms an independent branch within Indo-European....
: SO??? "the Saviour"), on all his coins. On some coins, he also calls himself Philopator (Greek
Greek language

Greek is an Indo-European languages native to the southern Balkan peninsula, the language of the Greek people. It forms an independent branch within Indo-European....
: F??????O? "the father-loving"), which proves that his father had been king before him. R C Senior guesses that Amyntas or Epander
Epander

Epander was one of the Indo-Greek kings. He may have been a relative of Menander I, and the findplaces of his coins seem to indicate that he ruled in the area of Punjab region....
 could have been his father.

Apollodotus' reign possibly began in the Punjab, when the Scythian king Maues
Maues

Maues was an Indo-Scythian king from modern Afghanistan who reigned circa 85 BCE-60 BCE, and invaded the Indo-Greek territories of modern Pakistan....
 ruled in Gandhara
Gandhara

Gandhara is the name of an ancient kingdom , located in northern Pakistan, Jammu and Kashmir and eastern Afghanistan. Gandhara was located mainly in the vale of Peshawar, the Potohar plateau and on the Kabul River....
 and its capital Taxila
Taxila

Taxila is an important archaeological site in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It dates back to the Ancient Indian period and contains the ruins of the Gandhara city of Takshashila an important Vedanta/Hinduism and Buddhist centre of learning from the 6th century BCE...
. What probably happened is that Apollodotus II took over Taxila
Taxila

Taxila is an important archaeological site in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It dates back to the Ancient Indian period and contains the ruins of the Gandhara city of Takshashila an important Vedanta/Hinduism and Buddhist centre of learning from the 6th century BCE...
 after the death of Maues
Maues

Maues was an Indo-Scythian king from modern Afghanistan who reigned circa 85 BCE-60 BCE, and invaded the Indo-Greek territories of modern Pakistan....
, though it is uncertain whether he defeated Maues or his descendants, or was allied or related to the dynasty of Maues. The late Indo-Greeks may have been rather mixed with both Indians and Scythians. R C Senior suggests that Apollodotus had struck an alliance with another Scythian king, Azes I
Azes I

Azes I was an Indo-Scythian ruler who completed the domination of the Scythians in northern India....
.

The Scythian hold of Gandhara loosened after the death of Maues, and petty kings of mixed or uncertain origin, like Artemidorus
Artemidorus

Artemidorus Daldianus or Ephesius was a professional diviner and author known for an extant five-volume Greek language work Oneirocritica, ....
 the son of Maues, Telephus
King Telephos

Telephos Euergetes, "the Benefactor", was a late Indo-Greek king who seem to have been one of the weak and brief successors of Maues. Bopearachchi dates Telephos between 75 BCE-70 BCE and places him in Gandhara, Senior to circa 60 BCE and suggests that he ruled in some parts of Pushkalavati or even further west....
 and perhaps Menander II
Menander II

Menander II "The Just" was an Indo-Greek King who ruled in the areas of Arachosia and Gandhara in the north of modern Pakistan....
 emerged in the area. These kings posed no threat to Apollodotus II, who on some of his coins assumed the title Basileus Megas (Greek
Greek language

Greek is an Indo-European languages native to the southern Balkan peninsula, the language of the Greek people. It forms an independent branch within Indo-European....
: ??S????S ??G?S "Great King"), in echo of Maues' boastful title "Great King of Kings".

After the death of Apollodotus II, the Indo-Greek kingdom fragmented once more.

Coins of Apollodotus II

Apollodotus II issued a large number of coins. He struck silver a with diademed portrait on the obverse and a reverse of Athena
Athena

In Greek mythology, Athena is the shrewd companion of Hero and the goddess of Hero endeavour. She is the virgin patron of Athens, which built the Parthenon to worship her....
 Alkidemos, and also a unique coin with the reverse of a king, possibly Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great , also known as Alexander III of Macedon was an ancient Greeks King of Macedon . He was one of the most successful military commanders of all time and is presumed undefeated in battle....
, sitting on a horned horse similar to Alexander's Bucephalus
Bucephalus

Bucephalus or Buchephalas was Alexander the Great's horse and the most famous actual horse of Classical antiquity. Ancient accounts state that Bucephalus died after the Battle of the Hydaspes in 326 BC, in what is now modern Pakistan, and is buried in Jalalpur Sharif outside of Jhelum , Pakistan....
 and holding his hand in a benediction gesture.

He struck bronzes with Apollo
Apollo

In Greek mythology and Roman mythology, Apollo , is one of the most important and many-sided of the Twelve Olympians. The ideal of the kouros , Apollo has been variously recognized as a god of light and the sun; truth and prophecy; archery; medicine and healing; music, poetry, and the arts; and more....
/tripod
Sacrificial tripod

A sacrificial tripod was a type of altar used by the ancient Greeks. The most famous was the Delphic tripod, on which the Pythia took her seat to deliver the oracles of the deity....
, a type introduced by his namesake Apollodotus I
Apollodotus I

Apollodotus I Soter , was an Indo-Greek king between 180 BCE and 160 BCE or between 174 BCE and 165 BCE who ruled the western and southern parts of the Indo-Greek kingdom, from Taxila in Punjab region to the areas of Sindh and possibly Gujarat....
.

The coins of Apollodotus II are of different qualities. Some still have the realistic portraits characteristic of the earlier Indo-Greek coins, and Bopearachchi attributes these series to the western part of his kingdom. Others are badly struck and/or have clumsy and distorted portraits, and these Bopearachchi interprets as belonging to newly opened mints in eastern Punjab, presumably struck by Indian celators with little knowledge of Greek engraving skills.

On some of his coins there are both extra monograms in shape of Kharosthi letters. These monograms are interpreted, which was suggested already by W.W. Tarn, to have belonged to officials with Indian names. The coins therefore indicate that Apollodotus II relied more on his Indian subjects than earlier kings, and also opened new mints in eastern Punjab where Greek presence was scarce.

Overstrikes

Apollodotus II overstruck a bronze of Maues
Maues

Maues was an Indo-Scythian king from modern Afghanistan who reigned circa 85 BCE-60 BCE, and invaded the Indo-Greek territories of modern Pakistan....
. Zoilos II
Zoilos II

Zoilos II Soter "Saviour" was an Indo-Greek king who ruled in eastern Punjab region. Bopearachchi dates his reign to c. 55 BCE–35 BCE, a date approximately supported by RC Senior....
 overstruck some of the coins of Apollodotus II, as did Azes I
Azes I

Azes I was an Indo-Scythian ruler who completed the domination of the Scythians in northern India....
.




Preceded by:
Indo-Scythian king:
Maues
Maues

Maues was an Indo-Scythian king from modern Afghanistan who reigned circa 85 BCE-60 BCE, and invaded the Indo-Greek territories of modern Pakistan....
 Indo-Greek Ruler
(Punjab
Punjab region

Punjab , also Panjab , is a region straddling the border between India and Pakistan. The "Five Rivers" are Beas River, Ravi River, Sutlej, Chenab and Jhelum River; all these are tributaries of the Indus river, Jhelum being the biggest one....
)
(80 - 65 BCE)		 Succeeded by:
In Western Punjab:
Hippostratos
Hippostratos

Hippostratus was an Indo-Greek king who ruled central and north-western Punjab region and Pushkalavati. Bopearachchi dates Hippostratos to 65 BCE to 55 BCE whereas R.C....


In Eastern Punjab:
Dionysios
King Dionysios

Dionysios Soter "Saviour" was an Indo-Greek king in the area of eastern Punjab region. According to Osmund Bopearachchi, he reigned ca circa 65 - 55 BCE) and inherited the eastern parts of the kingdom of the important late ruler Apollodotus II....


External links