The Greeks in Bactria and India c10.s6.240

c10.s6.240

The advent to power of Spalirises and his son heralded the end of Greek rule. As soon as Azes felt strong enough—probably about 30 B.C., though a somewhat earlier date may be possible—he attacked Hippostratus. The Saca fleet avenged its previous defeat on the Jhelum and gave Azes control of the river and a crossing; Poseidon with his trident appears on one of his coins,² and Poseidon with his trident trampling upon a river-god on another,³ and it was with the latter type that Azes overstruck some of Hippostratus' coins,⁴ a fact eloquent of the end of the kingdoms of Hippostratus and Nicias; that end is further attested by the appearance upon Azes' coins of the Athena Alkis of Menander⁵ and the monograms of all Hippostratus' moneyers.⁶ But Azes' type of Poseidon trampling on a river-god is copied from the similar type of Maues (p. 322); he therefore already regarded himself as Maues' destined successor, and in the north of India at any rate he was to restore Maues' empire.