Strato II

Strato II
Strato II
	Sakaimitation of Strato II
Indo-Greekking
Reign	25 BCE – 10 CE
Predecessor	Menander II(dynastically)
Successor	Strato III
Died	10 CE; Mathura
Religion	Greco-Buddhism

Strato IISoter(Ancient Greek:Στράτων B΄ ὁ Σωτήρ,Strátōn B΄ ho Sotḗr;epithetmeans "the Saviour" ) also known asStratha,was anIndo-Greekking. He ruledc. 25 BCEto 10 CE according to Bopearachchi. R. C. Senior suggests that his reign ended perhaps a decade earlier. He may have been supplanted by theIndo-Scythian Northern Satraps,particularlyRajuvulaandBhadayasa,whose coins were often copied on those of the last Indo-Greek kings.^[1]Numerous coins of Rajuvula have been found in company with the coins of the Strato group in theEastern Punjab(to the east of theJhelum) and also in theMathuraarea:^[2]for example, 96 coins of Strato II were found in Mathura in conjunction with coins ofRajuvula,who also imitated the designs of Strato II in the majority of his issues.^[3]

Rule[edit]

Strato II ruled in the easternPunjab,probably retaining the capital ofSagala(modernSialkot,Pakistan), or possibly to the city of Bucephala (Plutarch, p. 48 n. 5).

His territory was invaded byRajuvula,Indo-Scythianking ofMathura,and he became the last of the Indo-Greek kings, together with his son^[4]Strato III"Philopator"( "the father-loving" ), who was included as joint regent on some of his coins and also issued coins on his own.

A few silver coins with a different portrait and the inscriptionStrato SoterDikaios( "the just" ) may also belong to Strato III as sole ruler, or to a fourth king named Strato.^[5]^{[n 1]}

Just like the earlier king Strato I, the last Stratos are thought to belong to the dynasty ofMenander I,who also used the epithet Soter and the symbol of standingPallas Athena.

Coins of Strato II, III and Strato Dikaios[edit]

The chronology of the late Indo-Greek kingdom has been established byBopearachchiand other scholars from numismatical evidence alone. The coins deteriorated continuously, the Strato coins being the most debased and crude in style, a striking contrast to earlier kings who struck some of the most beautiful coins of antiquity.

The decay was due to the increasing pressure of theIndo-Scythiannomads on the remaining Greek pockets, as well as their long isolation from the rest of the Hellenistic world.

The boxy mint mark characteristic of Strato II and III and late Indo-Greek kings.

Strato II and III used exclusively a single "boxy" mint-mark, which they had in common with late Indo-Greek kings such asApollophanesand was initiated byDionysios Soter.^[8]

Strato II, Strato III and Strato Dikaios struck debased silver drachms, which as mentioned portray Pallas on the reverse. Strato II appears as an old man with a sunken jaw on some of his coins, which is not surprising given that his grandson was co-regent.

Strato II also issued bronzes and even lead coins of the common type Apollo/tripod. On some of Strato II's silver drachms the lettersigmais written as C (alunate sigma), a not uncommon trait on late Hellenistic coins in the east.

Imitations by Indo-Scythian rulers[edit]

Subsequent Indo-Scythian rulers, who replaced the Stratos in their territories, designed their coins in direct imitation of those of Strato II. This is the case of theNorthern Satraps,who ruled in the territories fromSagalain EasternPunjabtoMathura,such asRajuvula,Bhadayasa.Just as theYuezhihad copied the coins of the lastGreco-BactrianrulerHelioclesinBactria,or theIndo-Scythianshad copied the coins of the last westernIndo-GreekrulerHermaiosin the area ofKabul,here again theIndo-ScythianNorthern Satraps relied heavily on the numismatics of their predecessors.^[1]The fact that powerful new rulers such as Rajuvula extensively adopted these coin designs tends to suggest that Strato II had been quite a significant ruler in his eyes.

Notes and references[edit]

Notes

^Given that the coins of Strato I have lately been attributed to two different kings, there may actually have been as many as five kings named Strato.

References

^^a ^bThe Dynastic Arts of the Kushans, John M. Rosenfield, University of California Press, 1967, p.135[1]
^Mathurā and Its Society: The ʼSakæ-Pahlava Phase, Bratindra Nath Mukherjee, Firma K.L.M., 1981, p.9
^"Bibliography of Greek coin hoards, p. 194-195".Archived fromthe originalon 2018-05-25.Retrieved2016-12-08.
^R.C. Senior,Indo-Scythian coins and history. Volume IV.The Greek legend clearly implies that the two kings were father and son, and Senior dismisses the older reading "grandson" on the Kharosthi legend.
^Senior, ibid.
^Rapson, E.J. (1906)."Coins of the Graeco-Indian sovereigns agathokleia, Strato I Soter, and Strato II Philopator".Corolla Numismatica.Numismatic essays in honour of Barclay V. Head. With a portrait and eighteen plates. Oxford.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)At theInternet Archive.
^The journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal.Vol. 23. Bishop's College Press. 1854. pp. 689–691 Plate XXXV.
^Jakobsson, J (2010). "A Possible New Indo-Greek King Zoilos III, and an Analysis of Realism on Indo-Greek Royal Portraits".Numismatic Chronicle.JSTOR article

Bibliography[edit]

Whitehead, R.B. (1914).Catalogue of coins in the Punjab museum, Lahore.Vol. I Indo-Greek Coins. Oxford.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)At the Internet Archive.

External links[edit]

Coin India Strato II and III
(in French)Les Rois Straton II et III

Preceded by Apollophanes	Indo-Greek ruler (EasternPunjab) 25 BCE – 10 CE	Succeeded by Strato III

[10] O. Bopearachchi, "Monnaies gréco-bactriennes et indo-grecques, Catalogue raisonné", Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, 1991, p.453

[11] Quintanilla, Sonya Rhie (2 April 2019)."History of Early Stone Sculpture at Mathura: Ca. 150 BCE - 100 CE".BRILL – via Google Books.

[6] Given that the coins of Strato I have lately been attributed to two different kings, there may actually have been as many as five kings named Strato.

[Rosenfield-1] The Dynastic Arts of the Kushans, John M. Rosenfield, University of California Press, 1967, p.135[1]

[2] Mathurā and Its Society: The ʼSakæ-Pahlava Phase, Bratindra Nath Mukherjee, Firma K.L.M., 1981, p.9

[3] "Bibliography of Greek coin hoards, p. 194-195".Archived fromthe originalon 2018-05-25.Retrieved2016-12-08.

[4] R.C. Senior,Indo-Scythian coins and history. Volume IV.The Greek legend clearly implies that the two kings were father and son, and Senior dismisses the older reading "grandson" on the Kharosthi legend.

[5] Senior, ibid.

[7] Rapson, E.J. (1906)."Coins of the Graeco-Indian sovereigns agathokleia, Strato I Soter, and Strato II Philopator".Corolla Numismatica.Numismatic essays in honour of Barclay V. Head. With a portrait and eighteen plates. Oxford.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)At theInternet Archive.

[8] The journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal.Vol. 23. Bishop's College Press. 1854. pp. 689–691 Plate XXXV.

[JJ-9] Jakobsson, J (2010). "A Possible New Indo-Greek King Zoilos III, and an Analysis of Realism on Indo-Greek Royal Portraits".Numismatic Chronicle.JSTOR article

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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.