Sunday, 23 February 2020

PEUKOLAOS ~ GREEK KING OF GANDHARA


Peucolaus Soter Dikaios (Greek: Πευκόλαος ο Σωτήρ, ο Δίκαιος; epithets mean respectively, "the Saviour", "the Just") was an Indo-Greek king who ruled in the area of Gandhara  90 BCE. His reign was probably short and insignificant, since he left only a few coins, but the relations of the latter Indo-Greek kings remain largely obscure.

His name could be interpreted as "The man from Pushkalavati", an important Indo-Greek city east of Kabul.
Peucolaos struck rare Indian standard silver coins with portrait in diadem, and a reverse of a standing Zeus, which resemble the reverse of contemporary kings Heliokles II and Archebios. The latter has overstruck two coins of Peucolaos.

He also issued bilingual bronzes with Artemis and a crowned woman with a palm branch, perhaps a city-goddess or a personification of Tyche, the Greek Goddess of good luck.
Sources : coinsidia.com, Wikipedia`

1 comment:

  1. Peukolaos is an ancient Macedonian name (see the stele of Kleonymos, Hadymos, Peukolaos and Krino, 4th c. b.C. at the Museum of the Royal Tombs, Aigai/Vergina). So it cannot mean "the man from Peukelaotis". "Peukelaotis" is rather an adaptation of the local toponym Pushkalavati.

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