Hippostratus with Triton holding dolphin and rudder and Tyche

Hippostratus ( grc, Ἱππόστρατος, Hippostratos) was an

Indo-Greek The Indo-Greek Kingdom, or Graeco-Indian Kingdom, also known historically as the Yavana Kingdom (Yavanarajya), was a Hellenistic-era Greek kingdom covering various parts of Afghanistan and the northwestern regions of the Indian subcontinent ( ...

king who ruled central and north-western

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising a ...

and

Pushkalavati Pushkalavati ( ps, پشکلاوتي; Urdu: ; Sanskrit: ; Prākrit: ; grc, Πευκελαῶτις ) or Pushkaravati ( Sanskrit: ; Pāli: ), and later Shaikhan Dheri ( ps, شېخان ډېرۍ; ur, ), was the capital of the Gandhara kingd ...

. Bopearachchi dates Hippostratus to 65 to 55 BCE whereas R. C. Senior suggests 60 to 50 BCE.

Rule

In Bopearachchi's reconstruction Hippostratus came to power as the successor to

Apollodotus II Apollodotus II (Greek: ) was an Indo-Greek king who ruled in the western and eastern parts of Punjab. Bopearachchi dates him to c. 80–65 BC, and R. C. Senior to c. 85–65 BC. Apollodotos II was an important ruler who seems to have re-establis ...

, in the western part of his kingdom, while the weak Dionysius ascended to the throne in the eastern part. Senior assumes that the reigns of Apollodotus II and Hippostratos overlapped somewhat; in that case Hippostratus first ruled a kingdom situated to the west of Apollodotus' dominions. Just like Apollodotus II, Hippostratus calls himself ''Soter'', "Saviour", on all his coins, and on some coins he also assumes the title ''Basileos Megas'', "Great King", which he inherited from Apollodotus II. This may support Senior's scenario that Hippostratus extended his kingdom after Apollodotus' death. The relationship between these two kings remains uncertain due to lack of sources. Hippostratos did not, however, use the symbol of standing Athena Alkidemos, which was common to all other kings thought to be related to Apollodotus II. The two kings share only one monogram. The quantity and quality of the coinage of Hippostratus indicate a quite powerful king. Hippostratus seems to have fought rather successfully against the

Indo-Scythian Indo-Scythians (also called Indo-Sakas) were a group of nomadic Iranian peoples of Scythian origin who migrated from Central Asia southward into modern day Pakistan and Northwestern India from the middle of the 2nd century BCE to the 4th centur ...

invaders, led by the Scythian king

Azes I Azes I ( Greek: , epigraphically ; Kharosthi: , ) was an Indo-Scythian ruler who ruled around c. 48/47 BCE – 25 BCE with a dynastic empire based in the Punjab and Indus Valley, completed the domination of the Scythians in the northwestern Ind ...

, but was ultimately defeated and became the last western Indo-Greek king.

Coinage

Hippostratus issued silver coins with a diademed portrait on the obverse, and three reverses. The first is the image of a king on prancing horse, a common type which was most frequently used by the earlier kings

Antimachus II Antimachus II Nikephoros ( Greek: ; the epithet means "the Victorious") was an Indo-Greek king. He ruled a vast territory from the Hindu-Kush to the Punjab around 170 BCE. He was almost certainly the eponymous son of Antimachus I, who is known ...

and Philoxenus. The second reverse also portrays a king on horseback, but the horse is walking and the king making a benediction gesture - this type resembles a rare type of Apollodotus II. The third is a standing goddess, perhaps

Tyche Tyche (; Ancient Greek: Τύχη ''Túkhē'', 'Luck', , ; Roman equivalent: Fortuna) was the presiding tutelary deity who governed the fortune and prosperity of a city, its destiny. In Classical Greek mythology, she is the daughter of Aphrodite ...

. Hippostratus struck several bronzes of types used by several kings: *Serpent-legged deity (as used by

Telephus In Greek mythology, Telephus (; grc-gre, Τήλεφος, ''Tēlephos'', "far-shining") was the son of Heracles and Auge, who was the daughter of king Aleus of Tegea. He was adopted by Teuthras, the king of Mysia, in Asia Minor, whom he succe ...

) / standing goddess. *Apollo/tripod (Apollodotus II, several earlier kings) *Sitting Zeus-Mithras / horse, reminiscent of coins of

Hermaeus Hermaeus Soter or Hermaios Soter ( grc, Ἑρμαῖος ὁ Σωτήρ; epithet means "the Saviour") was a Western Indo-Greek king of the Eucratid Dynasty, who ruled the territory of Paropamisade in the Hindu-Kush region, with his capital in ...

. File:Hippostratos bareheaded with Tyche.jpg, Hippostratus bareheaded with

with Greek legend BΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΣΩΤΗΡΟΣ ΙΠΠΟΣΤΡΑΤΟΥ "Of King Saviour Hippostratus". File:Hippostratos with standing Apollo and tripod.jpg, Hippostratus with standing

Apollo Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label= Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label ...

and tripod with Greek legend BΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΣΩΤΗΡΟΣ ΙΠΠΟΣΤΡΑΤΟΥ "Of King Saviour Hippostratus". File:Hippostratos with Zeus Mitra and horse.jpg, Hippostratus with

Zeus Zeus or , , ; grc, Δῐός, ''Diós'', label= genitive Boeotian Aeolic and Laconian grc-dor, Δεύς, Deús ; grc, Δέος, ''Déos'', label= genitive el, Δίας, ''Días'' () is the sky and thunder god in ancient Greek reli ...

- Mitra and horse with Greek legend BΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΣΩΤΗΡΟΣ ΙΠΠΟΣΤΡΑΤΟΥ "Of King Saviour Hippostratus".

Overstrikes

overstruck several of Hippostratus' coins.

References

* ''The Greeks in Bactria and India'', W.W. Tarn, Cambridge University Press

External links

Main coins of Hippostratos
{{Hellenistic rulers Indo-Greek kings 1st-century BC rulers in Asia

Rule

Coinage

Overstrikes

See also

References

External links