All Topics  
Strato I

 
Strato I

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Strato I
 
 
  Topics Strato I Topic Home

Strato I (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....
: St??t?? ??), was an Indo-Greek king who was the son of the Indo-Greek queen Agathokleia
Agathokleia

Agathokleia Theotropa, "the Goddess-like" was an Indo-Greek queen who ruled in parts of northern India as regent for her son Strato I....
, who presumably acted as his regent during his early years after Strato's father, another Indo-Greek king, was killed.

l recently, consensus was that he ruled between c. 130-110 BCE in Northern India
India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
 and that his father was the great king 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 ....
. Menander ruled the entire Indo-Greek empire, but in this scenario, the western parts including Paropamisade and Arachosia
Arachosia

Arachosia or Arachotae is the latinized form of Greek language name of an Achaemenid Empire and Seleucid Empire governorate in the eastern part of their respective empires, and that was inhabited by the Iranian peoples Arachosians or Arachoti ....
, gained independence after the death 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 ....
, pushing Strato and Agathokleia
Agathokleia

Agathokleia Theotropa, "the Goddess-like" was an Indo-Greek queen who ruled in parts of northern India as regent for her son Strato I....
 eastwards to Gandhar and Punjab.






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



Encyclopedia


Strato I (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....
: St??t?? ??), was an Indo-Greek king who was the son of the Indo-Greek queen Agathokleia
Agathokleia

Agathokleia Theotropa, "the Goddess-like" was an Indo-Greek queen who ruled in parts of northern India as regent for her son Strato I....
, who presumably acted as his regent during his early years after Strato's father, another Indo-Greek king, was killed.

Date and genealogy

Until recently, consensus was that he ruled between c. 130-110 BCE in Northern India
India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
 and that his father was the great king 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 ....
. Menander ruled the entire Indo-Greek empire, but in this scenario, the western parts including Paropamisade and Arachosia
Arachosia

Arachosia or Arachotae is the latinized form of Greek language name of an Achaemenid Empire and Seleucid Empire governorate in the eastern part of their respective empires, and that was inhabited by the Iranian peoples Arachosians or Arachoti ....
, gained independence after the death 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 ....
, pushing Strato and Agathokleia
Agathokleia

Agathokleia Theotropa, "the Goddess-like" was an Indo-Greek queen who ruled in parts of northern India as regent for her son Strato I....
 eastwards to Gandhar and Punjab. This view was introduced by Tarn and defended as late as 1998 by Bopearachchi.

The modern view, embraced by R.C. Senior and probably more solid since it is founded on numismatical analyses, suggests that Strato I was a later king, perhaps ruling from 110-85 BCE, though perhaps still a descendant of Agathokleia
Agathokleia

Agathokleia Theotropa, "the Goddess-like" was an Indo-Greek queen who ruled in parts of northern India as regent for her son Strato I....
. In this case, Agathokleia
Agathokleia

Agathokleia Theotropa, "the Goddess-like" was an Indo-Greek queen who ruled in parts of northern India as regent for her son Strato I....
 was the widow of another king, possibly Nicias
King Nicias

Nicias was an Indo-Greek king who ruled in the Paropamisade. Most of his relatively few coins have been found in northern Pakistan, indicating that he ruled a smaller principate around the lower Kabul valley....
 or Theophilus
Theophilus

Various people have been known by the name Theophilus or Theophilos, which means "Friend of God" in Greek , and is thus similar to the Latin word Amadeus ....
.
Agathokleia&strato
A third hypothesis was presented in 2007 by J. Jakobsson: according to this, the coins of Strato in fact belong to two kings who both may have ruled around 105-80 BCE, though in different territories:
  • Strato Soter and Dikaios (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????O? ? SO??? ??? ??????S "Strato the saviour and just/righteous"), was Agathokleia's son.
  • Strato Epiphanes 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....
    : S????O? ? ???F???S SO??? "Strato the illustrious, saviour"), was a middle-aged king who may have been Agathokleia's brother and ruled in western Punjab.
This theory was based on difference in titles, in monograms and coin types between the two.

Events during his reign

Agathocleia's importance was gradually downplayed on the coins, so presumably her guardianship ended when Strato came of age. Strato I was also the only Indo-Greek king to appear bearded, probably to indicate that he was no longer an infant. Strato I, or the two Stratos, fought for hegemony in Punjab with the king Heliokles II
Heliokles II

Heliocles II Dikaios "the Righteous or the follower of Dharma" is thought to have been one of the later Indo-Greek kings and a relative of the Bactrian king Heliocles I....
, who overstruck several of their coins. There were very likely wars with other kings as well. The middle-aged Strato, according to the third theory, was succeeded by his son Polyxenios, who ruled only for a short time.

A hoard of Strato's coins was found in Mathura
Mathura

Mathura is a holy city in the Indian States and territories of India of Uttar Pradesh. It is located approximately 50 km north of Agra, and 150 km south of Delhi; about twenty kilometers from holy Vrindavana....
 outside New Delhi, which may have been the easternmost outpost of the Indo-Greek territory.

Coins

The coins of Strato show portraits aging from a youth to middle-aged. They have been divided into the following periods, where period 8 may belong to the second king.

  • Period 1 (Only Agathokleia):
Bronzes: 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....
 / seated Heracles
Heracles

In Greek mythology, Heracles or Herakles meaning "glory of Hera", or "Glorious through Hera" Alcides or Alcaeus " was a hero, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, foster son of Amphitryon and great-grandson of Perseus....
. Obverse - 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???SS?S T???????? ?G?T??????S "of queen Godlike Agathokleia" Reverse - Pali
Páli

P?li is a village in Gyor-Moson-Sopron county, Hungary.External links...
: Maharajasa tratarasa dharmikasa Agathukriae "Queen Agathokleia, saviour and follower of the dharma"
  • Period 2:
Silver: Agathokleia's portrait / walking king forming benediction gesture. Obverse - 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???SS?S ?G?T??????S "of queen Agathokleia" Reverse - Pali
Páli

P?li is a village in Gyor-Moson-Sopron county, Hungary.External links...
: Maharajasa tratarasa dharmikasa Stratasa "The Great king Strato, saviour and followers of the Dharma"
  • Period 3:
Silver: Bust of adolescent Strato / 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....
 holding Nike
Nike (mythology)

In Greek mythology, Nike , was a goddess who personified triumph throughout the ages of the ancient Greek culture. The Roman equivalent was Victoria ....
. Obverse - 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???OS SO????S ??? ??????? S????O??S "of king saviour and just/righteous Strato" Reverse - Pali
Páli

P?li is a village in Gyor-Moson-Sopron county, Hungary.External links...
: Maharajasa tratarasa Dhramikasa Stratasa "Great saviour king Strato, follower of the Dharma"
  • Period 4:
Silver: Adolescent Strato jointly with Agatokleia / 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 left. Obverse - 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???OS SO????S S????O??S ??? ?G?T?????? "of king saviour Strato, and Agathokleia" Reverse - Pali
Páli

P?li is a village in Gyor-Moson-Sopron county, Hungary.External links...
: Maharajasa tratarasa Stratasa/Agathukriae "Great saviour king Strato, and Agathokleia"
  • Period 5-7:
Silver: Strato alone, diademed, helmeted or spear-throwing, sometimes bearded / 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 (left, right or forward). Bronzes: Heracles
Heracles

In Greek mythology, Heracles or Herakles meaning "glory of Hera", or "Glorious through Hera" Alcides or Alcaeus " was a hero, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, foster son of Amphitryon and great-grandson of Perseus....
 / Nike
Nike (mythology)

In Greek mythology, Nike , was a goddess who personified triumph throughout the ages of the ancient Greek culture. The Roman equivalent was Victoria ....
 Obverse - (5-6) 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???OS SO????S S????O??S "of king saviour Strato" (7) 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???OS SO????S ??????? S????O??S "of king saviour and Just/Righteous Strato" Reverse - (5) Pali
Páli

P?li is a village in Gyor-Moson-Sopron county, Hungary.External links...
: Maharajasa tratarasa Stratasa "Great saviour king Strato"
(6) Pali
Páli

P?li is a village in Gyor-Moson-Sopron county, Hungary.External links...
: Maharajasa tratarasa dhramikasa Stratasa "Great saviour king Strato, follower of the dharma"
(7) Pali
Páli

P?li is a village in Gyor-Moson-Sopron county, Hungary.External links...
: Maharajasa tratarasa dhramikasa Stratasa "Great saviour king Strato, follower of the dharma"
  • Period 8:
Silver: Middle-aged Strato diademed or helmeted / 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 left. Bronzes: 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....
 / Sacrificial 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....
 Obverse - 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???OS ???F????S SO????S S????O??S "of king illustrious saviour Strato" Reverse - Pali
Páli

P?li is a village in Gyor-Moson-Sopron county, Hungary.External links...
: Maharajasa pracachasa tratarasa Stratasa "Great saviour king Strato, the illustrious"

Preceded by:
Agathokleia
Agathokleia

Agathokleia Theotropa, "the Goddess-like" was an Indo-Greek queen who ruled in parts of northern India as regent for her son Strato I....
 Indo-Greek Ruler
(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....
, 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....
)
(125-110 BCE)		 Succeeded by:
Heliokles II
Heliokles II

Heliocles II Dikaios "the Righteous or the follower of Dharma" is thought to have been one of the later Indo-Greek kings and a relative of the Bactrian king Heliocles I....


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....


See also