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Plato of Bactria

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Tetradrachm of Plato Epiphanes. Obverse shows the Diademed bust of king, and reverse showsHelios,riding a four-horse chariot. Greek legend: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΕΠΙΦΑΝΟΥΣ ΠΛΑΤΩΝΟΣBasileos Epiphanous Platonos,"of God-manifest King Plato". Coin marked MZ, possibly is a dating which equals year 47Yavana era= 138 BCE
Tetradrachm of Plato Epiphanes. Obverse shows the Diademed bust of Plato. The reverse showsHelios,riding a four-horse chariot. Greek legend: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΕΠΙΦΑΝΟΥΣ ΠΛΑΤΩΝΟΣ,Basileos Epiphanous Platonos,"of God-manifest King Plato". Coin marked MN, possibly is a dating which equals year 48Yavana era= 137 BCE

Plato Epiphanes(Ancient Greek:Πλάτων ὁ ἘπιφανήςPlátо̄n ho Epiphanḗs,"Plato the God-Manifest" ) was aGreco-Bactrianking who reigned for a short time in southernBactriaor theParopamisadeduring the mid 2nd century BCE. The style of Plato's coins suggests that he was a relative — most likely a brother since Plato is a middle-aged man on his coins — ofEucratides the Great,whose rise to power is dated to around 170–165 BCE.

Some of Plato's coins have inscriptions which may possibly be interpreted as dates using theIndo-Greek erawhich started around 186 BCE. In that case Plato ruled around 140 BCE. This matches the dating given by numismaticianBopearachchi,who places Plato between 145–140 BCE, since his coins are not found in the ruins ofAi Khanoum,a Bactrian city which was destroyed during the reign of Eucratides.

Coinage[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  • "The Shape of Ancient Thought. Comparative studies in Greek and Indian Philosophies"by Thomas McEvilley (Allworth Press and the School of Visual Arts, 2002)ISBN1-58115-203-5
  • "Buddhism in Central Asia" by B. N. Puri (Motilal Banarsidass Pub, January 1, 2000)ISBN81-208-0372-8
Preceded by:
Eucratides I?
Greco-Bactrian Ruler
(Bactriaor its tributaries)
Succeeded by:
Eucratides II?