DOI issue:
I. Artykuly
DOI article:Kalita, Stanisław: Portraits of rulers on greco-bactrian and indo-greek coins: an attempt at classification
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21229#0013
Menander’s portraits, too, suggest that their author or authors tried to
express the ruler’s personality. The calm, slender face, the characteristic
nose and high forehead lend a distinct quality among monetary portraits
to this most famous of the Greek rulers in India. Uniquely among Greco-
Bactrian and Indo-Greek rulers, this king’s name survived in both Medi-
terranean and Indian traditions. Mentioned By Plutarch and Strabo8, Me-
nander is also the main protagonist in the Buddhist religious and philo-
sophical dialogue titled in the pali language Milindapanha, which means
„Milinda’s Questions,” Milinda being the Indian version of the name
Menander. An antique tradition preserved the story of a just king-sage all
of whose cities in northern India contested for the privilege of becoming
his burial place when he died.9
Some rulers who reigned for prolonged periods of time had portraits
made at different stages in their life. This is especially true of Strato II (25
BC-10 AD), who appeared on his last emissions as a very old man „with a
toothless mouth and hollow cheeks.”10 As to Menander, researchers disa-
gree because some coins are attributed to the alleged Menander II Dika-
ios.* 11 The essential distinguishing quality is, of course, the nicknames:
„Soter” (Savior) and „Dikaios” (Just) included in the coins of Menander I
(155-130 BC) and Menander II (90-85 BC).
One of the best-known researchers on Greco-Bactrian and Indo-Greek
coinage, A.D.H. Bivar in „The Sequence of Menander’s Drachmae” (Jour-
nal of the Royal Asiatic Studies, 1970, and Afghanistan, Dec. 1972) distingu-
ished eight types of drachmas issued by Menander I Soter in eight phases,
with the ruler’s bust in a diadem belonging in this system to the obverses
of coins issued in phases VII and VIII, i.e., late in the ruler’s life. Menan-
der’s earlier portraits, according to Bivar, are „the king throwing ajavelin”
(phases II, III, and IV), another similar representation but in a helmet
(phase V), and finally the bust in a helmet with a diadem (phase VI).
klassischer Altertümer in Rom, vol. IV, Tübingen, 1972, no 3260, p. 235); M. Bieber, The
Sculpture of the Hellenistic Age, New York, 1955
8 Plutarch, Moralia, IV 28; Strabo, XV 1.3
9 Plutarch, Moralia, IV 28
10 A. N. Lahiri, The so-called Joint Coins of the Indo-Greeks, Journal of the Numismatic
Society of India, XXXIX, 1977, parts I—II, pp. 69-76. Bop., Strato II, series 6
11 A. D. H. Bivar, Indo-Bactrian Problems, Numismatic Chronicle, V, 1965, p. 31, note 2.
Bop. Menander (II) Dikaios, series 1
11
express the ruler’s personality. The calm, slender face, the characteristic
nose and high forehead lend a distinct quality among monetary portraits
to this most famous of the Greek rulers in India. Uniquely among Greco-
Bactrian and Indo-Greek rulers, this king’s name survived in both Medi-
terranean and Indian traditions. Mentioned By Plutarch and Strabo8, Me-
nander is also the main protagonist in the Buddhist religious and philo-
sophical dialogue titled in the pali language Milindapanha, which means
„Milinda’s Questions,” Milinda being the Indian version of the name
Menander. An antique tradition preserved the story of a just king-sage all
of whose cities in northern India contested for the privilege of becoming
his burial place when he died.9
Some rulers who reigned for prolonged periods of time had portraits
made at different stages in their life. This is especially true of Strato II (25
BC-10 AD), who appeared on his last emissions as a very old man „with a
toothless mouth and hollow cheeks.”10 As to Menander, researchers disa-
gree because some coins are attributed to the alleged Menander II Dika-
ios.* 11 The essential distinguishing quality is, of course, the nicknames:
„Soter” (Savior) and „Dikaios” (Just) included in the coins of Menander I
(155-130 BC) and Menander II (90-85 BC).
One of the best-known researchers on Greco-Bactrian and Indo-Greek
coinage, A.D.H. Bivar in „The Sequence of Menander’s Drachmae” (Jour-
nal of the Royal Asiatic Studies, 1970, and Afghanistan, Dec. 1972) distingu-
ished eight types of drachmas issued by Menander I Soter in eight phases,
with the ruler’s bust in a diadem belonging in this system to the obverses
of coins issued in phases VII and VIII, i.e., late in the ruler’s life. Menan-
der’s earlier portraits, according to Bivar, are „the king throwing ajavelin”
(phases II, III, and IV), another similar representation but in a helmet
(phase V), and finally the bust in a helmet with a diadem (phase VI).
klassischer Altertümer in Rom, vol. IV, Tübingen, 1972, no 3260, p. 235); M. Bieber, The
Sculpture of the Hellenistic Age, New York, 1955
8 Plutarch, Moralia, IV 28; Strabo, XV 1.3
9 Plutarch, Moralia, IV 28
10 A. N. Lahiri, The so-called Joint Coins of the Indo-Greeks, Journal of the Numismatic
Society of India, XXXIX, 1977, parts I—II, pp. 69-76. Bop., Strato II, series 6
11 A. D. H. Bivar, Indo-Bactrian Problems, Numismatic Chronicle, V, 1965, p. 31, note 2.
Bop. Menander (II) Dikaios, series 1
11