A new interpretation of the middle and late history of the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom——Perspectives based on the newly discovered numismatic evidence
Due to the absence of historical documentations and the scarcity of numismatic evidence,there has always been a lack of direct evidence regarding the order of succession to the Greco-Bactrian throne during the middle to late periods of the kingdom.In particular,there has been differing opinions concerning the relationships between Eucratides Ⅰ,Eucratides Ⅱ,Heliocles Ⅰ,and Plato.Based on lat-est numismatic evidence such as the newly discovered commemorative coins of coregency,overstrikes,and the contextual information of hoards,this article argues that the Heliocles figure appeared in the commemorative coin with three figures was possibly the son of Eucratides Ⅰ,and had been the regent of the kingdom.He was also Heliocles Ⅰ,the successor of Eucratides Ⅰ.Eucratides Ⅱ,on the other hand,was the co-regent and the successor established by Heliocles Ⅰ in his late years.Plato,who was once i-dentified as one of the successors of Heliocles Ⅰ was indeed the heir of the'self-established'Diodotus Ⅰ,and was not in the direct line of succession to Heliocles Ⅰ.
Eucratides ⅠCoinage of coregencyRoyal successionNumismatics
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