Archebius
ArchebiusDikaios Nikephoros( "The Just and Victorious" ) | |
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![]() Portrait of Archebios on one of histetradrachms | |
Indo-Greekking | |
Reign | 90–80 BCE |
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7d/Archebios_Tetradrachm.jpg/300px-Archebios_Tetradrachm.jpg)
Obv: Helmetted king Archebius. Greek legend: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΔΙΚΑΙΟΥ ΝΙΚΗΦΟΡΟΥ ΑΡΧΕΒΙΟΥ "Of King Archebius the Just and Victorious"
Rev:Zeus,withKharoshthilegend: MAHARAJASA DHRAMIKASA JAYADHARASA ARKHEBIYASA "Archebios, the victorious king of theDharma.
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1e/Archebios_bareheaded.jpg/300px-Archebios_bareheaded.jpg)
Obv: Bareheaded king Archebius. With Greek legend: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΔΙΚΑΙΟΥ ΝΙΚΗΦΟΡΟΥ ΑΡΧΕΒΙΟΥ "Of King Archebius the Just and Victorious"
Rev:Zeus,withKharoshthilegend: MAHARAJASA DHRAMIKASA JAYADHARASA ARKHEBIYASA "Archebios, the victorious king of theDharma.
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/64/Archebios_holding_spear.jpg/300px-Archebios_holding_spear.jpg)
Obv: Helmetted king Archebius holding a spear. With Greek legend: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΔΙΚΑΙΟΥ ΝΙΚΗΦΟΡΟΥ ΑΡΧΕΒΙΟΥ "Of King Archebius the Just and Victorious"
Rev:Zeus,withKharoshthilegend: MAHARAJASA DHRAMIKASA JAYADHARASA ARKHEBIYASA "Archebios, the victorious king of theDharma.
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d8/Archebios_with_elephant_and_owl.jpg/300px-Archebios_with_elephant_and_owl.jpg)
Archebius Dikaios Nikephoros(Greek:Ἀρχέβιος ὁ Δίκαιος, ὁ Νικηφόρος;epithetsmean respectively, "the Just", "the Victorious"; formerly read as "Archelius"[1][2]) was anIndo-Greekking who ruled in the area ofTaxila.Osmund Bopearachchidates him to c. 90–80 BCE, and R. C. Senior to about the same period. He was probably one of the last Indo-Greek kings before theSakakingMauesconquered Taxila, and a contemporary ofHermaeusin the west. He may have been a relative ofHeliokles II,who used a similar reverse and also the title Dikaios.[citation needed]
Coin types[edit]
Archebius' name means "ruler of life" deriving from ἄρχω ( “to rule” ) and βίος ( "life” ).[citation needed]He issued silver with diademed or helmeted king, sometimes in spear-throwing pose. On the reverse is Zeus standing facing, holding a thunderbolt or on some issues an aegis.
Archebius also struck a rare series of Attic tetradrachms, found in Bactria.
He also issued bronzes withNikeon one side and an owl on the other.
Overstrikes[edit]
Archebius overstruck two coins ofPeukolaos.
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King thrusting javelin, withZeusholding thunderbolt.
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Bust of Zeus, and caps of theDioscuriwith palms.
References[edit]
- ^"In the Masson collection of 1836 were found Archebius ( read at the time as 'Archelius')" inImam, Abu (1966).Sir Alexander Cunningham and the Beginnings of Indian Archaeology.Asiatic Society of Pakistan. p. 134.
- ^Prinsep, James.Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal Vol V 1836.pp. 548–549.
- The Shape of Ancient Thought. Comparative studies in Greek and Indian Philosophiesby Thomas McEvilley (Allworth Press and the School of Visual Arts, 2002)ISBN1-58115-203-5
- Buddhism in Central Asiaby B. N. Puri (Motilal Banarsidass Pub, January 1, 2000)ISBN81-208-0372-8
- The Greeks in Bactria and Indiaby W. W. Tarn, Cambridge University Press.