The Greeks in Bactria and India c16.43

c16.43

In §11 are mentioned five Mlechchha kings, greedy and powerful, who will destroy the four castes: (1) red-eyed Amlata, the invincible; (2) Gopalobhama, reigning one year; (3) Pushyaka the just, one year; (4) Savila the invincible, three years; (5) Viknayas a non-Brahman, three years. Jayaswal suggests that the first four are the Greek kings Amyntas, Apollophanes, Peucolaos, Zoilus. I think this most improbable. These Greek kings have nothing to do with the story of Pāṭaliputra; their coin-titles, except perhaps in the case of Peucolaos, do not agree with those given to the kings of §11;⁵ and Zoilus δίκαιος and Peucolaos are certainly, and Zoilus σωτήρ probably, earlier than Amyntas. These Mlechchha kings are well down in the Saca period; I fortunately do not have to guess who they are.