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Hippostratus was an Indo-Greek king who ruled central and north-western 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....
 and Pushkalavati
Pushkalavati

Pushkalavati is an ancient site situated in Peshawar valley in the NWFP of Pakistan. It is located on the banks of Swat River, near its junction with Kabul River, now it is known as Charsadda....
.






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Hippostratos
Hippostratoscoin
Hippostratecoin
Hippostratus was an Indo-Greek king who ruled central and north-western 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....
 and Pushkalavati
Pushkalavati

Pushkalavati is an ancient site situated in Peshawar valley in the NWFP of Pakistan. It is located on the banks of Swat River, near its junction with Kabul River, now it is known as Charsadda....
. Bopearachchi dates Hippostratos to 65 to 55 BCE whereas R.C. Senior suggests 60 to 50 BCE.

In Bopearachchi's reconstruction Hippostratus came to power as the successor to Apollodotus II, in the western part of his kingdom, while the weak Dionysius
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....
 ascended to the throne in the eastern part. Senior assumes that the reigns of Apollodotus II and Hippostratus overlapped somewhat; in that case Hippostratos first ruled a kingdom was to the west of Apollodotus dominions.

Just like Apollodotus II, Hippostratus 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 Hippostratus extended his kingdom after Apollodotus' death. The relationship between these two kings remains uncertain due to lack of sources. Hippostratus did however not 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 Hippostratus indicate a quite powerful king. Hippostratus seems to have fought rather successfully against the Indo-Scythian invaders, led by the Scythian king Azes I
Azes I

Azes I was an Indo-Scythian ruler who completed the domination of the Scythians in northern India....
, but was ultimately defeated and became the last western Indo-Greek king.

Coins of Hippostratus

Hippostratus 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
Antimachus II

Antimachus II Nikephoros "The Victorious" was an Indo-Greek king. He ruled on a vast territory from the Hindu-Kush to the Punjab region around 170 BCE....
 and Philoxenus
Philoxenus

Philoxenus or Philoxenos is the name of several prominent ancient Greeks:*Philoxenus of Cythera, an ancient Greek dithyrambic poet*Philoxenus of Leucas, a legendary glutton...
. 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
Fortuna

Fortuna can mean:*Fortuna, the Roman goddess of luck Geographical*19 Fortuna, an asteroid*Fortuna, California, a town located on the north coast of California...
.

Hippostratus struck several bronzes of types used by several kings: Serpent-legged deity (as used by 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....
) / standing goddess. Apollo/tripod (Apollodotus II, several earlier kings) Sitting Zeus-Mithras / horse, reminiscent of coins of Hermaeus.

Overstrikes

Azes I overstruck several of Hippostratus' coins.




Preceded by:
Apollodotus II
Apollodotus II

Apollodotus II , was an Indo-Greek king who ruled in the western and eastern parts of Punjab region. Bopearachchi dates him to circa 80-65 BCE, and RC Senior to circa 65-55 BCE....
 Indo-Greek Ruler
(Western 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....
)
(65-55 BCE)		 Succeeded by:
(Indo-Scythian King)
Azes I
Azes I

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


See also

  • Indo-Greek Kingdom
    Indo-Greek Kingdom

    The Indo-Greek Kingdom covered various parts of the northwest and northern Indian subcontinent during the last two centuries BC, and was ruled by more than 30 Hellenistic civilization kings, often in conflict with each other....
  • Greco-Buddhism
    Greco-Buddhism

    Greco-Buddhism, sometimes spelt Graeco-Buddhism, refers to the cultural syncretism between Hellenistic civilization and Buddhism, which developed between the 4th century BCE and the 5th century CE in the area covered by modern Afghanistan, Pakistan and north-western border regions of modern India namely western portions of Jammu and Ka...
  • Indo-Scythians
    Indo-Scythians

    The Indo-Scythians are a branch of the Iranians Sakas , who migrated from southern Siberia into Bactria, Sogdiana, Arachosia, Gandhara, Kashmir, Punjab region, and into parts of Western and Central India, Gujarat and Rajasthan, from the middle of the 2nd century BCE to the 4th century Common Era....


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