Diomedes Soter - Wikipedia

Diomedes Soter
Coin of Diodotus ‘Diomedes’
Indo-Greekking
Reign	95–90 BCE

Diomedes Soter(Greek:Διομήδης ὁ Σωτήρ;epithetmeans "the Saviour" ) was anIndo-Greekking and possible claimantGreco-BactrianKing who may have attempted to reconquer the lands north of theHindu Kush.The places where his coins have been found seem to indicate that his rule was based in the area of theParopamisadae,possibly with temporary dominions further east. Judging from their similar portraits and many overlapping monograms, the young Diomedes seems to have been the heir (and probably a relative) ofPhiloxenus,the last king to rule before the kingdom ofMenander Ifinally fragmented.

Time of reign[edit]

Bopearachchidates Diomedes to c. 95–90 BCE and R. C. Senior dates him to c. 115–105 BCE.

Coins of Diomedes[edit]

Diomedes is depicted with theDioscurion his coins, either on horseback or standing; both types were previously used byEucratides the Great,which suggests a dynastic link to the latter. It is however uncertain how the two were related, since Eucratides I died long before Diomedes.

Diomedes minted both Attic-type coins (Greco-Bactrianstyle, with Greek legend only), and bilingual coins (with Greek andKharoshthi), indicating that he was ruling in the western part of the Indo-Greek territory.

One overstrike is known, of a coin ofStratoandAgathocleaover a coin of Diomedes.^[1]This overstrike could indicate that Diomedes fought over the central areas of the Indo-Greek territories with Strato and Agathoclea.

Greco-BactrianandIndo-Greekkings, territories and chronology

Based onBopearachchi(1991)^{[t 1]}

Territories/ dates	WestBactria	EastBactria	Paropamisade	Arachosia	Gandhara	Western Punjab	Eastern Punjab	Mathura^{[t 2]}
	Greco-Bactriankings		Indo-Greekkings
326-325 BCE	Campaigns of Alexander the Great in India						Nanda Empire
312 BCE	Creation of theSeleucid Empire						Creation of theMaurya Empire
305 BCE	Seleucid EmpireafterMauryan war		Maurya Empire
280 BCE	Foundation ofAi-Khanoum
255–239 BCE	Independence of the Greco-Bactrian kingdom Diodotus I		EmperorAshoka(268-232 BCE)
239–223 BCE	Diodotus II
230–200 BCE	Euthydemus I
200–190 BCE	Demetrius I				Sunga Empire
190-185 BCE	Euthydemus II
190–180 BCE	Agathocles			Pantaleon
185–170 BCE	Antimachus I
180–160 BCE			Apollodotus I
175–170 BCE	Demetrius II
160–155 BCE			Antimachus II
170–145 BCE	Eucratides I
155–130 BCE	Yuezhioccupation, loss ofAi-Khanoum	Eucratides II Plato Heliocles I	Menander I
130–120 BCE	Yuezhioccupation		Zoilus I		Agathoclea			Yavanarajya inscription
120–110 BCE			Lysias		Strato I
110–100 BCE			Antialcidas		Heliocles II
100 BCE			Polyxenus		Demetrius III
100–95 BCE			Philoxenus
95–90 BCE			Diomedes	Amyntas		Epander
90 BCE			Theophilus	Peucolaus		Thraso
90–85 BCE			Nicias	Menander II		Artemidorus
90–70 BCE			Hermaeus	Archebius
			Yuezhioccupation		Maues(Indo-Scythian)
75–70 BCE				Vonones	Telephus	Apollodotus II
65–55 BCE				Spalirises		Hippostratus	Dionysius
55–35 BCE					Azes I(Indo-Scythians)		Zoilus II
55–35 BCE					Vijayamitra/Azilises		Apollophanes
25 BCE – 10 CE				Gondophares	Zeionises	Kharahostes	Strato II Strato III
				Gondophares(Indo-Parthian)			Rajuvula(Indo-Scythian)
			Kujula Kadphises(Kushan Empire)				Bhadayasa (Indo-Scythian)	Sodasa (Indo-Scythian)
^O. Bopearachchi, "Monnaies gréco-bactriennes et indo-grecques, Catalogue raisonné", Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, 1991, p.453 ^Quintanilla, Sonya Rhie (2 April 2019)."History of Early Stone Sculpture at Mathura: Ca. 150 BCE - 100 CE".BRILL – via Google Books.

References[edit]

^Bopearachchi,De l'Indus à l'Oxus,p. 129

Tarn, W. W.(1984).The Greeks in Bactria and India.Chicago: Ares.ISBN 0-89005-524-6.
Bopearachchi, Osmund(2003).De l'Indus à l'Oxus, Archéologie de l'Asie Centrale(in French). Lattes: Association imago-musée de Lattes.ISBN 2-9516679-2-2.

External links[edit]

Preceded by Philoxenus	Indo-Greekruler inParopamisadae 95–90 BCE	Succeeded by Theophilos

v t e Hellenisticrulers
Argeads	Philip II Alexander III the Great Philip III Arrhidaeus Alexander IV
Antipatrids	Cassander Philip IV Alexander V Antipater II Antipater Etesias Sosthenes
Antigonids	Antigonus I Monophthalmus Demetrius I Poliorcetes Antigonus II Gonatas Demetrius II Aetolicus Antigonus III Doson Philip V Perseus Philip VI(pretender)
Ptolemies	Ptolemy I Soter Ptolemy Keraunos Ptolemy II Philadelphus Ptolemy III Euergetes Ptolemy IV Philopator Ptolemy V Epiphanes Cleopatra I Syra(regent) Ptolemy VI Philometor Ptolemy VII Neos Philopator Cleopatra II Philometor Soter Ptolemy VIII Physcon Cleopatra III Ptolemy IX Lathyros Ptolemy X Alexander Berenice III Ptolemy XI Alexander Ptolemy XII Auletes Cleopatra VI Tryphaena Berenice IV Epiphanea Ptolemy XIII Ptolemy XIV Cleopatra VII Philopator Ptolemy XV Caesarion
Monarchs of Cyrene	Magas Berenice II Demetrius the Fair Ptolemy VIII Physcon Ptolemy Apion Cleopatra Selene II
Seleucids	Seleucus I Nicator Antiochus I Soter Antiochus II Theos Seleucus II Callinicus Seleucus III Ceraunus Antiochus III the Great Seleucus IV Philopator Antiochus IV Epiphanes Antiochus V Eupator Demetrius I Soter Alexander I Balas Demetrius II Nicator Antiochus VI Dionysus Diodotus Tryphon Antiochus VII Sidetes Alexander II Zabinas Cleopatra Thea Seleucus V Philometor Antiochus VIII Grypus Antiochus IX Cyzicenus Seleucus VI Epiphanes Antiochus X Eusebes Antiochus XI Epiphanes Demetrius III Eucaerus Philip I Philadelphus Antiochus XII Dionysus Cleopatra Selene I Antiochus XIII Asiaticus Philip II Philoromaeus
Lysimachids	Lysimachus Ptolemy Epigonos
Attalids	Philetaerus Eumenes I Attalus I Eumenes II Attalus II Attalus III Eumenes III
Greco-Bactrians	Diodotus I Diodotus II Euthydemus I Demetrius I Euthydemus II Antimachus I Pantaleon Agathocles Demetrius II Eucratides I Plato Eucratides II Heliocles I
Indo-Greeks	Demetrius I Antimachus I Pantaleon Agathocles Apollodotus I Demetrius II Antimachus II Menander I Zoilos I Agathokleia Lysias Strato I Antialcidas Heliokles II Polyxenos Demetrius III Philoxenus Diomedes Amyntas Epander Theophilos Peukolaos Thraso Nicias Menander II Artemidoros Hermaeus Archebius Telephos Apollodotus II Hippostratos Dionysios Zoilos II Apollophanes Strato II Strato III
Monarchs of Bithynia	Boteiras Bas Zipoetes I Nicomedes I Zipoetes II Etazeta(regent) Ziaelas Prusias I Prusias II Nicomedes II Nicomedes III Nicomedes IV Socrates Chrestus
Monarchs of Pontus	Mithridates I Ctistes Ariobarzanes Mithridates II Mithridates III Pharnaces I Mithridates IV Philopator PhiladephoswithLaodice Mithridates V Euergetes Mithridates VI Eupator Pharnaces II Darius Arsaces Polemon I Pythodorida Polemon II
Monarchs of Commagene	Ptolemaeus Sames II Mithridates I Antiochus I Mithridates II Antiochus II Mithridates III Antiochus III Antiochus IV
Monarchs of Cappadocia	Ariarathes I Ariarathes II Ariamnes II Ariarathes III Ariarathes IV Ariarathes V Orophernes Ariarathes VI Ariarathes VII Ariarathes VIII Ariarathes IX Ariobarzanes I Ariobarzanes II Ariobarzanes III Ariarathes X Archelaus
Monarchs of the Cimmerian Bosporus	Paerisades I Satyros II Prytanis Eumelos Spartokos III Hygiainon(regent) Paerisades II Spartokos IV Leukon II Spartokos V[ru] Kamasarye Paerisades III Paerisades IV Paerisades V Mithridates I Pharnaces AsanderwithDynamis Mithridates II AsanderwithDynamis Scribonius's attempted rule withDynamis DynamiswithPolemon Polemon Aspurgus Gepaepyris Mithridates III Cotys I
Monarchs of Epirus	Admetus Tharrhypas Alcetas I Neoptolemus I Arybbas Alexander I Aeacides Neoptolemus II Alcetas II Pyrrhus I Alexander II Olympias II(regent) Pyrrhus II Ptolemy Pyrrhus III Deidamia
Hellenistic rulers were preceded byHellenistic satrapsin most of their territories.

Time of reign[edit]

Coins of Diomedes[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]