Peukolaos

Peucolaus Soter Dikaios (Greek: Πευκόλαος ὁ Σωτήρ, ὁ Δίκαιος; epithets mean respectively, "the Saviour", "the Just") was an Indo-Greek king who ruled in the area of Gandhara c. 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.

Peukolaos
Portrait of Peucolaos
Indo-Greek king
Reign	c. 90 BCE

Peucolaos Tetradrachm. Obv Diademed king, legend ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΔΙΚΑΙΟΥ KAI ΣΩΤΗΡΟΣ/ ΠΕΥΚΟΛΑΟΥ "King Peukolaos, the Just and the Saviour". Rev. Maharajasa dhramikasa tratarasa/ Piükulaäsa ""King Peukolaos, follower of the Dharma and Saviour". Zeus making a blessing gesture.[1]

Coin of Peukalaos. Obverse: Artemis standing facing, drawing arrow from quiver. Reverse: Goddess standing left, holding a flower and palm. Similar to the goddess of Pushkalavati on a coin of that city.[2]

His name could be interpreted as "The man from Pushkalavati". Pushkalavati was the historic capital of Gandhara located in the Valley of Peshawar.

Coins of Peucolaos

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 deity for good luck.

Greco-Bactrian and Indo-Greek kings, territories and chronology Based on Bopearachchi (1991)[3]
	Greco-Bactrian kings		Indo-Greek kings
Territories/ dates	West Bactria	East Bactria	Paropamisade	Arachosia	Gandhara	Western Punjab	Eastern Punjab	Mathura[4]
326-325 BCE	Campaigns of Alexander the Great in India						Nanda Empire
312 BCE	Creation of the Seleucid Empire						Creation of the Maurya Empire
305 BCE	Seleucid Empire after Mauryan war		Maurya Empire
280 BCE	Foundation of Ai-Khanoum
255–239 BCE	Independence of the Greco-Bactrian kingdom Diodotus I		Emperor Ashoka (268-232)
239–223 BCE	Diodotus II
230–200 BCE	Euthydemus I
200–190 BCE	Demetrius I				Sunga Empire
190-185 BCE	Euthydemus II
190–180 BCE	Agathocles			Pantaleon
185–170 BCE	Antimachus I
180–160 BCE			Apollodotus I
175–170 BCE	Demetrius II
160–155 BCE			Antimachus II
170–145 BCE	Eucratides I
155–130 BCE	Yuezhi occupation, loss of Ai-Khanoum	Eucratides II Plato Heliocles I	Menander I
130–120 BCE	Yuezhi occupation		Zoilos I		Agathokleia			Yavanarajya inscription
120–110 BCE			Lysias		Strato I
110–100 BCE			Antialcidas		Heliokles II
100 BCE			Polyxenos		Demetrius III
100–95 BCE			Philoxenus
95–90 BCE			Diomedes	Amyntas		Epander
90 BCE			Theophilos	Peukolaos		Thraso
90–85 BCE			Nicias	Menander II		Artemidoros
90–70 BCE			Hermaeus	Archebius
			Yuezhi occupation		Maues (Indo-Scythian)
75–70 BCE				Vonones	Telephos	Apollodotus II
65–55 BCE				Spalirises		Hippostratos	Dionysios
55–35 BCE					Azes I (Indo-Scythians)		Zoilos II
55–35 BCE					Vijayamitra/ Azilises		Apollophanes
25 BCE – 10 CE				Gondophares	Zeionises	Kharahostes	Strato II Strato III
				Gondophares (Indo-Parthian)			Rajuvula (Indo-Scythian)
			Kujula Kadphises (Kushan Empire)				Bhadayasa (Indo-Scythian)	Sodasa (Indo-Scythian)

See also

• Greco-Bactrian Kingdom
• Seleucid Empire
• Greco-Buddhism
• Indo-Scythians
• Indo-Parthian Kingdom
• Kushan Empire

Sources

• The Greeks in Bactria and India, W. W. Tarn, Cambridge University Press.
• The Coin Types of the Indo-Greek Kings, 256-54 B.C., A. K. Narain

References

1. "Monnaies Greco-Bactriennes et Indo-Grecques", Osmund Bopearachchi, Bibliotheque Nationale, 1991, p.309
2. Castro, Andrea (Angelo Andrea) A. A. Di. "Crowns, Horns and Goddesses Appropriation of Symbols in Gandhāra and Beyond": 38–39. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
3. O. Bopearachchi, "Monnaies gréco-bactriennes et indo-grecques, Catalogue raisonné", Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, 1991, p.453
4. Quintanilla, Sonya Rhie (2 April 2019). "History of Early Stone Sculpture at Mathura: Ca. 150 BCE - 100 CE". BRILL – via Google Books.

Preceded by Amyntas Nikator

Indo-Greek Ruler (in Arachosia, Gandhara) c. 90 BCE

Succeeded by Menander II