The Greco-Bactrian king Demetrius I ( Dharmamitra) (205-171 BCE) himself may have been the prototype for the image of the Buddha.
The earliest Hellenistic statues of the Buddha portray him in a style reminiscent of a king. Demetrius may have been deified, and the first Hellenistic statues of the Buddha that we know of, could be depictions of the idealized Greek king;royal in countenance, yet friendly, protective and open towards the Indian culture.
Another thing that Demetrious and Buddha have in common is that they both share the same protector deity. In Gandharan art, the Buddha is often shown under the protection of the Greek god Heracles, standing with His club (and later a diamond rod) resting over His arm. This unusual representation of Heracles is the same as the one on the back of Demetrius' coins, and it is associated only with him and his son Euthydemus II, seen only on the reverse of his coins.
Gods from the Greek Pantheon are also incorporated in Buddhist representations, indicating a strong spiritual and cultural blend. Heracles -of the type shown on Demetrius' coins- has been extensively used as the symbol of Vajrapani, the protector of the Buddha. Other Greek Gods widely used in Greco-Buddhist art are Atlas, and the Greek wind God Boreas. Atlas, in particular, tends to be involved as a sustaining figure in Buddhist architectural elements. Boreas became the Japanese wind god Fujin through the Greco-Buddhist Wardo. The mother deity Hariti has her origins in Greek GoddessTyche.
The Greco-Buddhist art movement incorporated the figure of the Buddha into architectural designs, such as Corinthian pillars and friezes. Scenes of the life of the Buddha are typically shown in a Greek architectural environment, with Buddha himself dressed in Greek clothing.
The earliest Hellenistic statues of the Buddha portray him in a style reminiscent of a king. Demetrius may have been deified, and the first Hellenistic statues of the Buddha that we know of, could be depictions of the idealized Greek king;royal in countenance, yet friendly, protective and open towards the Indian culture.
Another thing that Demetrious and Buddha have in common is that they both share the same protector deity. In Gandharan art, the Buddha is often shown under the protection of the Greek god Heracles, standing with His club (and later a diamond rod) resting over His arm. This unusual representation of Heracles is the same as the one on the back of Demetrius' coins, and it is associated only with him and his son Euthydemus II, seen only on the reverse of his coins.
Gods from the Greek Pantheon are also incorporated in Buddhist representations, indicating a strong spiritual and cultural blend. Heracles -of the type shown on Demetrius' coins- has been extensively used as the symbol of Vajrapani, the protector of the Buddha. Other Greek Gods widely used in Greco-Buddhist art are Atlas, and the Greek wind God Boreas. Atlas, in particular, tends to be involved as a sustaining figure in Buddhist architectural elements. Boreas became the Japanese wind god Fujin through the Greco-Buddhist Wardo. The mother deity Hariti has her origins in Greek GoddessTyche.
The Greco-Buddhist art movement incorporated the figure of the Buddha into architectural designs, such as Corinthian pillars and friezes. Scenes of the life of the Buddha are typically shown in a Greek architectural environment, with Buddha himself dressed in Greek clothing.
