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#0017
with a likeness of king Amyntas, found in the Qunduz hoard (northern
Afghanistan) and other sites.28
b) Scale helmets are shown worn by three to five rulers, depending on
whether we assume the existence of two Menanders and two Heliocleses
(as suggested by Bopearachchi). The group is complemented by a portrait
of Archebius.29 Lahiri refers to the head armor in these renditions as „Me-
dusa helmets.”30 They are schematically illustrated as a dot pattern represen-
ting scale. Menander (I?) and Archebius were also portrayed in such
a helmet with a bull’s ear and horn. The „Medusa helmet” occurred to-
gether with the king’s diadem. More commonly, it was shown in de-
pictions of rulers throwing a javelin as described below.
* * *
There is a problem in interpreting the helmets on a sizeable group
of small coins bearing a little portrait which, in addition, tends to be
quite worn. Even if it is difficult to make out bull’s ear and horn, in Bo-
pearachchi’s catalog they are still called the same (casque du souverain)
as those that have those elements and are thus not discussed as a sepa-
rate group.
Despite that, it is worth mentioning one effigy of Apollophanes31 (36-
25 BC) which defeats classification and occurs on silver drachmas stuck in
the Indian weight system. In this case, the king’s diadem is wrapped around
the helmet. Allouche Te-Page interpreted it as the bust of a ruler in cau-
sia, the traditional Macedonian headgear seen on portraits of several other
Indo-Greek rulers.32 Yet it does not seem a plausible conclusion for
the causia on Greco-Bactrian and Indo-Greek coins has quite a different
shape, while Apollophanes’ headgear rather resembles a crescentless per-
haps but otherwise characteristic Boeotian helmet as we know it from other
depictions. Incidentally, the helmet of Euthydemus of Magnesia on his
fully-sculptured portrait of Villa Albani looks exactly like that.
The symbolism of a helmeted king is obvious. Images that invoke it
illustrate the ruler’s military prerogatives, show him as a war leader. Un-
28 Ibid., Amyntas, series 1-2. R. Curiel, G. Fussman, Le trésor monétaire de Qunduz,
Mémoires de la Délégation Archéologique Française en Afghanistan, 20, Paris, 1965
29 Bop., Archebius, series 10
30 A. N. Lahiri, Corpus of Indo-Greek Coins, Calcutta, 1965, passim
31 Bop., Apollophanes, series 1
32 M.-T. Allouche-Le Page, L’art monétaire des royaumes bactriens, Paris, 1965, tab. Ill
15
Afghanistan) and other sites.28
b) Scale helmets are shown worn by three to five rulers, depending on
whether we assume the existence of two Menanders and two Heliocleses
(as suggested by Bopearachchi). The group is complemented by a portrait
of Archebius.29 Lahiri refers to the head armor in these renditions as „Me-
dusa helmets.”30 They are schematically illustrated as a dot pattern represen-
ting scale. Menander (I?) and Archebius were also portrayed in such
a helmet with a bull’s ear and horn. The „Medusa helmet” occurred to-
gether with the king’s diadem. More commonly, it was shown in de-
pictions of rulers throwing a javelin as described below.
* * *
There is a problem in interpreting the helmets on a sizeable group
of small coins bearing a little portrait which, in addition, tends to be
quite worn. Even if it is difficult to make out bull’s ear and horn, in Bo-
pearachchi’s catalog they are still called the same (casque du souverain)
as those that have those elements and are thus not discussed as a sepa-
rate group.
Despite that, it is worth mentioning one effigy of Apollophanes31 (36-
25 BC) which defeats classification and occurs on silver drachmas stuck in
the Indian weight system. In this case, the king’s diadem is wrapped around
the helmet. Allouche Te-Page interpreted it as the bust of a ruler in cau-
sia, the traditional Macedonian headgear seen on portraits of several other
Indo-Greek rulers.32 Yet it does not seem a plausible conclusion for
the causia on Greco-Bactrian and Indo-Greek coins has quite a different
shape, while Apollophanes’ headgear rather resembles a crescentless per-
haps but otherwise characteristic Boeotian helmet as we know it from other
depictions. Incidentally, the helmet of Euthydemus of Magnesia on his
fully-sculptured portrait of Villa Albani looks exactly like that.
The symbolism of a helmeted king is obvious. Images that invoke it
illustrate the ruler’s military prerogatives, show him as a war leader. Un-
28 Ibid., Amyntas, series 1-2. R. Curiel, G. Fussman, Le trésor monétaire de Qunduz,
Mémoires de la Délégation Archéologique Française en Afghanistan, 20, Paris, 1965
29 Bop., Archebius, series 10
30 A. N. Lahiri, Corpus of Indo-Greek Coins, Calcutta, 1965, passim
31 Bop., Apollophanes, series 1
32 M.-T. Allouche-Le Page, L’art monétaire des royaumes bactriens, Paris, 1965, tab. Ill
15