Apollophanes
Apollophanes | |
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Indo-Greek king | |
![]() Silver drachm of king Apollophanes (r. 35-25 BCE). Obv: Helmeted bust of king. Greek legend: BASILEOS SOTEROS APOLLOPHANOU "Of Saviour King Apollophanes". Rev: Pallas with aegis and thunderbolt. Kharoshthi legend: MAHARAJASA TRATARASA APALAVINASA "Saviour king Apollophanes". | |
Reign | 35–25 BCE |
Apollophanes Soter (Greek: Ἀπολλοφάνης ὁ Σωτήρ; epithet means "the Saviour"; reigned c. 35 – 25 BCE) was an Indo-Greek king in the area of eastern and central Punjab in modern India and Pakistan.
Rule
Little is known about him, except for some of his remaining coins. The dating is Osmund Bopearachchi's, but R. C. Senior suggests approximately the same dates. Earlier scholars, such as Professor Ahmed Hasan Dani, W.W. Tarn and A.K. Narain dated Apollophanes considerably earlier, but the style and finding places of his coins make it clear that he belonged to the last line of eastern Indo-Greek kings, not long before they were overcome completely by pressure from the Indo-Scythians.
He may have been a relative of Apollodotus II Soter since both kings share the epithet Soter (Saviour), have names related to Apollo and use Pallas Athene as their reverse.
Coins of Apollophanes
Apollophanes issued a few debased silver drachms of the type seen above, struck with a single monogram and of little artistic quality. He seems to have been an insignificant local ruler. Apollophanes wears what appears to be a Macedonian helmet of the type seen on the Alexander Mosaic which he was the last Indo-Greek ruler to use.
Preceded by: Zoilos II |
Indo-Greek Ruler (Eastern Punjab) 35–25 BCE |
Succeeded by: Strato II and III |
INDO-GREEK KINGS AND THEIR TERRITORIES Based on Bopearachchi (1991) | ||||||||||||
Territories/ Dates | PAROPAMISADE | ARACHOSIA | GANDHARA | WESTERN PUNJAB | EASTERN PUNJAB | |||||||
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200–190 BCE | Demetrius I ![]() |
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190–180 BCE | Agathocles ![]() |
Pantaleon![]() |
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185–170 BCE | Antimachus I![]() |
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180–160 BCE | Apollodotus I![]() |
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175–170 BCE | Demetrius II ![]() |
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170–145 BCE | Eucratides![]() |
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160–155 BCE | Antimachus II![]() |
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155–130 BCE | Menander I![]() | |||||||||||
130–120 BCE | Zoilos I![]() |
Agathokleia![]() |
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120–110 BCE | Lysias ![]() |
Strato I![]() |
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110–100 BCE | Antialcidas![]() |
Heliokles II![]() |
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100 BCE | Polyxenos![]() |
Demetrius III![]() |
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100–95 BCE | Philoxenus![]() |
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95–90 BCE | Diomedes![]() |
Amyntas ![]() |
Epander![]() |
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90 BCE | Theophilos ![]() |
Peukolaos![]() |
Thraso | |||||||||
90–85 BCE | Nicias![]() |
Menander II![]() |
Artemidoros![]() |
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90–70 BCE | Hermaeus![]() |
Archebios![]() |
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Yuezhi tribes | Maues (Indo-Scythian) | |||||||||||
75–70 BCE | Telephos ![]() |
Apollodotus II![]() | ||||||||||
65–55 BCE | Hippostratos![]() |
Dionysios![]() | ||||||||||
55–35 BCE | Azes I (Indo-Scythian) | Zoilos II | ||||||||||
55–35 BCE | Apollophanes![]() | |||||||||||
25 BCE – 10 CE | Strato II & III ![]() | |||||||||||
Rajuvula (Indo-Scythian) |
See also
- Greco-Bactrian Kingdom
- Seleucid Empire
- Greco-Buddhism
- Indo-Scythians
- Indo-Parthian Kingdom
- Kushan Empire
References
- "The Greeks in Bactria and India", W.W. Tarn, Cambridge University Press.
- "The Bactrian and Indus Greeks", Prof. Ahmed Hasan Dani, Lahore Museum
- "The Indo-Greeks - Revisited and Supplemented", Dr. A.K. Narain, BR Publishing Corporation
- "Monnaies Gréco-Bactriennes et Indo-Grecques", Osmund Bopearachchi, Bibliothèque Nationale de France.
Apollophanes the dramatist
Apollophanes was also the name of an Athenian writer of comedies who flourished in the 4th century BCE.