The Cambridge History of India, Vol. I: Ancient India v1.c26.287

v1.c26.287

If the attribution just suggested be correct, it confirms the view, already highly probable on other grounds, that there was an intimate connexion between Demetrius I, on the one side, and, on the other, Agathocles, Pantaleon, and Antimachus, whom, as we have seen, it is impossible to separate. As Euthydemus II and Demetrius II were almost certainly his sons, it follows that his history must have been closely linked with that of all the five ephemeral kings, of whom no record save their coins remains. His sons, however, can hardly have been contemporary with the other three, for the mint-marks that appear on the coins of Agathocles are to a large extent identical with those that were employed by Euthydemus II. It is conceivable that, when Demetrius I was pursuing his Indian conquests, he may have left Euthydemus II and Demetrius II to represent him in the western part of his dominions, that they fell in the earlier years of the struggle with Eucratides, and that at some subsequent stage he recognised Agathocles, Pantaleon, and Antimachus as kings, in order to secure their support. Alternatively, the three last-named may have attempted to set themselves up against Eucratides after Demetrius died. But all this is mere guess-work. What is certain is that in none of the three cases can the seat of power have been very far distant from Kābul. Agathocles and Pantaleon certainly, and Antimachus possibly (*v. sup.* p. 449 and note), struck money of a distinctively Indian character; and the Kharoshṭhī legend on certain copper coins of Agathocles has been supposed to give him the title ‘Lord of the Indians,’ though this interpretation is unfortunately doubtful¹. Cunningham² reports of the money of Agathocles that ‘single copper specimens have been found as far to the south as Kandahar and Sistan, while they are common about Kabul and Begram.’ Of Pantaleon’s coins he states that they ‘are found chiefly about Ghazni and Kabul, but a few have been obtained about Peshâwar and in the Western Panjab....Masson procured seven copper specimens at Begram.’ As for Antimachus, he says ‘the position of Margiana accords best with the actual find-spots of his coins,’ and again ‘they have been found in about equal numbers in the Kabul valley and to the north of the Caucasus, while two specimens have been obtained in the Panjab.’