Philoxenus Anicetus (

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

: ; epithet means "the Invincible") 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 in the region spanning the Paropamisade to

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 ...

. Philoxenus seems to have been quite an important king who might briefly have ruled most of the Indo-Greek territory. Bopearachchi dates Philoxenus to c. 100–95 BCE and R. C. Senior to c. 125–110 BCE. Historians have not yet connected Philoxenus with any dynasty, but he could have been the father of the princess Kalliope, who was married to the king

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 ...

Coins of Philoxenos

Philoxenus struck several series of bilingual Indian silver coins, with a

reverse Reverse or reversing may refer to: Arts and media * ''Reverse'' (Eldritch album), 2001 * ''Reverse'' (2009 film), a Polish comedy-drama film * ''Reverse'' (2019 film), an Iranian crime-drama film * ''Reverse'' (Morandi album), 2005 * ''Reverse'' ...

of a mounted king, a type previously used as obverse by

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 ...

sixty years earlier and as reverse on rare types of

Nicias Nicias (; Νικίας ''Nikias''; c. 470–413 BC) was an Athenian politician and general during the period of the Peloponnesian War. Nicias was a member of the Athenian aristocracy and had inherited a large fortune from his father, which was inve ...

. Whether the horseman was a dynastic emblem or a portrait of the king as a cavalryman is unclear. Several

Saka The Saka ( Old Persian: ; Kharoṣṭhī: ; Ancient Egyptian: , ; , old , mod. , ), Shaka (Sanskrit ( Brāhmī): , , ; Sanskrit (Devanāgarī): , ), or Sacae (Ancient Greek: ; Latin: ) were a group of nomadic Iranian peoples who hist ...

kings used similar horsemen on their coinage. His drachms were square, another feature that was rare among Indo-Greeks but standard for Sakas, and this indicates that Philoxenus had connections with the nomads that had conquered Bactria. Philoxenus struck bronzes with female deity/bull, or Helios/

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...

. Philoxenus also minted some Attic-type tetradrachms (with Greek legend only), meant for circulation in Bactria.

Overstrikes

One overstrike is known, of Epander over Philoxenus.

Other coins

File:PhyloxenusCoin1.JPG, Philoxenus on horse. File:Philoxenus Indo Greek square coin.jpg, Philoxenus coin in the Indian square standard.

Japan Currency Museum __NOTOC__ The , formally known as the is a museum about Japanese currency located in front of the Bank of Japan building in Chūō, Tokyo. The museum opened in November 1985.Edan CorkillBank of Japan Currency Museum invests in exhibition on wa ...

. File:Whitehead Coins of the Punjab Museum Plate VII Phyloxenos.jpg, Coin of Phyloxenos.

References

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

External links

Coins of Philoxenus
Ancient history of Pakistan Indo-Greek kings 1st-century BC rulers in Asia {{AncientGreece-bio-stub

Coins of Philoxenos

Overstrikes

Other coins

See also

References

External links