Peucolaus

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Peucolaus Soter Dicaeus
Portrait of Peucolaus
Indo-Greek king
Reignc. 90 BCE
Peucolaos Tetradrachm. Obv Diademed king, legend ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΔΙΚΑΙΟΥ KAI ΣΩΤΗΡΟΣ/ ΠΕΥΚΟΛΑΟΥ "King Peucolaus, the Just and the Saviour". Rev. Maharajasa dhramikasa tratarasa/ Piükulaäsa ""King Peucolaus, follower of the Dharma and Saviour". Zeus making a blessing gesture.[1]
Coin of Peucolaus. 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]

Peucolaus Soter Dicaeus (Ancient Greek: Πευκόλαος Σωτήρ Δίκαιος, romanizedPeukolaos Sōtēr Dikaios; 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.

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

Coinage[edit]

Peucolaus 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.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Monnaies Greco-Bactriennes et Indo-Grecques", Osmund Bopearachchi, Bibliotheque Nationale, 1991, p.309
  2. ^ Di Castro, Angelo Andrea (January 2017). "Crowns, Horns and Goddesses Appropriation of Symbols in Gandhāra and Beyond". In Bapat, Jayant Bhalchandra; Mabbett, Ian (eds.). Conceiving the Goddess: transformation and appropriation in Indic religions. Monash University Publishing. pp. 38–39.

Bibliography[edit]

  • 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
  • Le Roi Peukolaos

External links[edit]

Preceded by Indo-Greek Ruler
(in Arachosia, Gandhara)

c. 90 BCE
Succeeded by