The Greeks in Bactria and India c10.s6.145

c10.s6.145

There were still plenty of Greeks in the Paropamisadae, for when the Kushan Kujula Kadphises invaded that country some generations later, he thought it worth while trying to get them on his side in his conflict with the then Pahlava rulers (App. 17); but if any independence remained in the confused period after Antialcidas' death it must have centred in the two Greek cities, Alexandria and Cartana-Bamyan, with their grip on the regular route to Bactra and the West. As Maues, however, ruled for a time in Kapisa, no doubt Alexandria then had to accept his overlordship, which would mean that the city probably retained a certain autonomy in the usual way but that he appointed an epistates (city governor),¹ who might however be a citizen. But as we next meet Alexandria in the hands of Amyntas, Maues' governor must have been expelled by a Greek rising led by that prince, perhaps with the help of barbarian auxiliaries; unless, as is possible, Amyntas himself was Maues' epistates and revolted. Beside the Chinese evidence (p. 339), Amyntas' rule in Alexandria is attested by the 'Zeus enthroned' on his coins;² but who he was is unknown. Some facial resemblance has been detected between him and two of the kings of Antialcidas' house, Archebius and Peucolaos;³ this is not worth much on Indo-Greek coins, but he may have been a member of that line. If we could explain an unexplained coin-type used by him and his son Hermaeus, the head of a god bearded and radiate who wears the pointed Phrygian cap (not the Saca cap with flaps),⁴ we might know more about him.