The Greeks in Bactria and India c10.s5.8

c10.s5.8

Heliocles, when he invaded India, left the younger Eucratides (Eucratides II) to govern Bactria, with the royal title; whether he was his son or younger brother is unknown, but on the ages the latter is much more probable. He struck the coins with a youthful head remarkably like that of Heliocles and the type of Apollo with his bow, holding an arrow in his right hand, and the simple legend ‘Of King Eucratides’. ³ These coins used to be called an early issue of Eucratides (I);¹ but it has been suggested that the face is too young and too like that of Heliocles to be meant for Eucratides himself,² and the matter seems settled by a unique coin which recently reached Germany from Russia.³ The description of it gives the same reverse type, Apollo with his bow and arrow, but on the obverse a ‘youngish portrait bust’ and the unique legend βασιλέως σωτῆρος Εὐκρατίδου, ‘Of King Eucratides, Saviour’. Had Eucratides really used the title σωτήρ at the start, it is inconceivable that he would have discarded it when he adopted the type of the Saviour gods, the Dioscuri; and this coin seems sufficient proof of the existence of a second Eucratides.