King Philoxenus
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| Philoxenus | |
| Indo-Greek king | |
 Coin of Philoxenus, making a blessing gesture with his right hand. |
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| Reign | 100 BCE - 95 BCE |
|---|---|
Obv: Helmetted, diademed and draped bust of Philoxenus. Greek legend BASILEOS ANIKETOU PHILOXENOU "Invincible King Philoxenus"
Rev: King on prancing horse in military dress. Kharoshti legend MAHARAJASA APADIHATASA PHILASINASA "Invincible King Philoxenus".
Philoxenus Aniketos "The Invincible", was an Indo-Greek king who ruled in the region spanning the Paropamisadae to Punjab. Philoxenus seems to have been quite an important king who might briefly have ruled most of the Indo-Greek territory. Bopearachchi dates Philoxenus to c. 100-95 BCE and R.C. Senior to c. 125-110 BCE.
Historians have not yet connected Philoxenus with any dynasty, but he could have been the father of the princess Kalliope, who was married to the king Hermaeus.
Contents |
[edit] Coins of Philoxenos
Philoxenus struck several series of bilingual Indian silver coins, with a reverse of a mounted king, a type previously used as obverse by Antimachus II sixty years earlier and as reverse on rare types of Nicias. Whether the horseman was a dynastic emblem or a portrait of the king as a cavalleryman is unclear. Several Saka kings used similar horsemen on their coinage. His drachms were square, another feature that was rare among Indo-Greeks but standard for Sakas, and this indicates that Philoxenus had connections with the nomads that had conquered Bactria.
Philoxenus struck bronzes with female deity/bull, or Helios/Nike.
Philoxenus also minted some Attic-type tetradrachms (with Greek legend only), meant for circulation in Bactria.
[edit] Overstrikes
One overstrike is known, of Epander over Philoxenus.
| Preceded by: (In the Paropamisadae, Arachosia and Gandhara) Antialcidas (In Punjab) Demetrios III or Polyxenios |
Indo-Greek Ruler (Paropamisadae, Arachosia, Gandhara and Punjab) (100-95 BCE) |
Succeeded by: (In the Paropamisadae) Diomedes (In Arachosia and Gandhara) Amyntas (In Punjab) Epander |
[edit] External links
[edit] See also
- Greco-Bactrian Kingdom
- Seleucid Empire
- Greco-Buddhism
- Indo-Scythians
- Indo-Parthian Kingdom
- Kushan Empire
[edit] References
- "The Greeks in Bactria and India", W.W. Tarn, Cambridge University Press.
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