Strato I
Strato I | |
---|---|
![]() Portrait of Strato I | |
Indo-Greekking | |
Reign | 125–110 BCE |
Predecessor | Agathokleia |
Successor | Menander II(?) |
Born | 138 BC Sagala |
Died | c.100 BC |
Issue | |
Dynasty | Yavana |
Father | Menander I |
Mother | Agathokleia |
Religion | Greco-Buddhism |
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/67/Strato_I_bareheaded.jpg/330px-Strato_I_bareheaded.jpg)
Strato I Dikaios(Greek:Στράτων ΔίκαιοςStrátо̄n Díkaios,“Strato the Just” ) also known asStrathainSanskrit,was aYavanaKing (reigned 125/120-110 BCE), the son and successor ofMenander,Strato’s mother,Agathoclearuled as Queen Mother andregnantfor Strato until 120 BCE, when he was of age to succeed his father. He was dynastically succeeded by his son,Menander II.
Date and genealogy
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/13/Strato_I_and_Agathokleia.jpg/300px-Strato_I_and_Agathokleia.jpg)
Obv:Conjugate busts of Strato and Agathokleia. Greek legend: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΣΩΤΗΡΟΣ ΣΤΡΑΤΩΝΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΑΓΑΘΟΚΛΕΙΑΣ "Of Saviour King Strato, and Agathokleia".
Rev:Athenathrowing thunderbolt.Kharoshthilegend: MAHARAJASA TRATASARA DHARMIKASA STRATASA "King Strato, Saviour and Just (=" of the Dharma ")".
Until recently, consensus was that he ruled between c. 130–110 BCE in NorthernIndiaand that his father was the great kingMenander I.Menander ruled the entire Indo-Greek empire, but in this scenario, the western parts includingParopamisadeandArachosiagained independence after the death ofMenander I,pushing Strato andAgathokleiaeastwards toGandharaandPunjab.This view was introduced byTarnand defended as recently as 1998 byBopearachchi.
The modern view, embraced by R. C. Senior and probably more solid since it is founded on numismatical analyses, suggests that Strato I was a later king, perhaps ruling from 110–85 BCE, though perhaps still a descendant ofAgathokleia.In this case,Agathokleiawas the widow of another king, possiblyNiciasorTheophilus.
A third hypothesis was presented in 2007 by J. Jakobsson:[1]according to this, the coins of Strato in fact belong to two kings who both may have ruled around 105–80 BCE, though in different territories:
- Strato Soter and Dikaios(Greek:ΣΤΡΑΤΩΝ Ο ΣΩΤΗΡ ΚΑΙ ΔΙΚΑΙΟΣ"Strato the saviour and just/righteous" ), was Agathokleia's son.
- Strato Epiphanes Soter(Greek:ΣΤΡΑΤΩΝ Ο ΕΠΙΦΑΝΗΣ ΣΩΤΗΡ"Strato the illustrious, saviour" ), was a middle-aged king who may have been Agathokleia's brother and ruled in western Punjab.
This theory was based on difference in titles, in monograms and coin types between the two.
Events during his reign
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ef/Coin_of_Strato_I.jpg/330px-Coin_of_Strato_I.jpg)
Agathocleia's importance was gradually downplayed on the coins, so presumably her guardianship ended when Strato came of age. Strato I was also the only Indo-Greek king to appear bearded, probably to indicate that he was no longer an infant. Strato I, or the two Stratos, fought for hegemony in Punjab with the kingHeliokles II,who overstruck several of their coins. There were very likely wars with other kings as well. The middle-aged Strato, according to the third theory, was succeeded by his son Polyxenios, who ruled only for a short time.
A hoard of Strato's coins was found inMathuraoutside New Delhi, which may have been the easternmost outpost of the Indo-Greek territory.
Coins
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8c/Agathokleia_drachm_king_Strato_in_uniform_circa_100_BCE.jpg/220px-Agathokleia_drachm_king_Strato_in_uniform_circa_100_BCE.jpg)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/43/Strato_I_helmet.jpg/300px-Strato_I_helmet.jpg)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d3/Strato_I_helmetted.jpg/300px-Strato_I_helmetted.jpg)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9e/Strato_I_old_and_bearded.jpg/300px-Strato_I_old_and_bearded.jpg)
The coins of Strato show portraits aging from a youth to middle-aged. They have been divided into the following periods, where period 8 may belong to the second king.^
- Period 1 (Only Agathokleia):
Bronzes:Athena/ seatedHeracles.
Obverse -Greek:ΒΑΣΙΛΙΣΣΗΣ ΘΕΟΤΡΟΠΟΥ ΑΓΑΘΟΚΛΕΙΑΣ"of queen Godlike Agathokleia"
Reverse -Pali:Maharajasa tratarasa dhramikasa Agathukriae"Queen Agathokleia, saviour and follower of the dharma"
- Period 2:
Silver:Agathokleia's portrait / walking king forming benediction gesture.
Obverse -Greek:ΒΑΣΙΛΙΣΣΗΣ ΑΓΑΘΟΚΛΕΙΑΣ"of queen Agathokleia"
Reverse -Pali:Maharajasa tratarasa dhramikasa Stratasa"The Great king Strato, saviour and followers of the Dharma"
- Period 3:
Silver:Bust of adolescent Strato /AthenaholdingNike.
Obverse -Greek:ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΣΩΤΗΡΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΔΙΚΑΙΟΥ ΣΤΡΑΤΩΝΟΣ"of king saviour and just/righteous Strato"
Reverse -Pali:Maharajasa tratarasa Dhramikasa Stratasa"Great saviour king Strato, follower of the Dharma"
- Period 4:
Silver:Adolescent Strato jointly with Agathokleia /AthenaAlkidemos left.
Obverse -Greek:ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΣΩΤΗΡΟΣ ΣΤΡΑΤΩΝΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΑΓΑΘΟΚΛΕΙΑΣ"of king saviour Strato, and Agathokleia"
Reverse -Pali:Maharajasa tratarasa Stratasa/Agathukriae"Great saviour king Strato, and Agathokleia"
- Period 5-7:
Silver:Strato alone, diademed, helmeted or spear-throwing, sometimes bearded /AthenaAlkidemos (left, right or forward).
Bronzes:Heracles/Nike
Obverse - (5-6)Greek:ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΣΩΤΗΡΟΣ ΣΤΡΑΤΩΝΟΣ"of king saviour Strato"
(7)Greek:ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΣΩΤΗΡΟΣ ΔΙΚΑΙΟΥ ΣΤΡΑΤΩΝΟΣ"of king saviour and Just/Righteous Strato"
Reverse - (5)Pali:Maharajasa tratarasa Stratasa"Great saviour king Strato"
(6)Pali:Maharajasa tratarasa dhramikasa Stratasa"Great saviour king Strato, follower of the dharma"
(7)Pali:Maharajasa tratarasa dhramikasa Stratasa"Great saviour king Strato, follower of the dharma"
- Period 8:
Silver:Middle-aged Strato diademed or helmeted /AthenaAlkidemos left.
Bronzes:Apollo/Sacrificial tripod
Obverse -Greek:ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΕΠΙΦΑΝΟΥΣ ΣΩΤΗΡΟΣ ΣΤΡΑΤΩΝΟΣ"of king illustrious saviour Strato"
Reverse -Pali:Maharajasa pracachasa tratarasa Stratasa"Great saviour king Strato, the illustrious"
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^Jakobsson, J.Relations between the Indo-Greek kings after Menander I, part 2,Journal of the Oriental Numismatic Society 193, 2007
References
[edit]- The Greeks in Bactria and India,W.W. Tarn, Cambridge University Press