This article is about Indo-Greek kings. For the airplane, see
Grob Strato 2C.
Strato II |
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Indo-Greek king |
Kharoshthi legend: MAHARAJASA TRATARASA STRATASA "King Strato the Saviour". |
Reign |
25 BCE – 10 CE |
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Strato II "Soter" was an Indo-Greek king. He ruled circa 25 BCE to 10 CE according to Bopearachchi. R. C. Senior suggests that his reign ended perhaps a decade earlier.
Rule
Strato II ruled in the eastern Punjab, probably retaining the capital of Sagala (modern Sialkot, Pakistan), or possibly to the city of Bucephala (Plutarch, p. 48 n. 5).
His territory was invaded by Rajuvula, Indo-Scythian king of Mathura, and he became the last of the Indo-Greek kings, together with his son[1] Strato (III) Soter Philopator, who was included as joint regent on some of his coins and also issued coins on his own.
A few silver coins with a different portrait and the inscription Strato Soter Dikaios may also belong to Strato III as sole ruler, or to a fourth king named Strato.[2] (Given that the coins of Strato I have lately been attributed to two different kings, there may actually have been as many as five kings named Strato.)
Just like the earlier king Strato I, the last Stratons I are thought to belong to the dynasty of Menander I, who also used the epithet Soter and the symbol of standing Pallas Athena.
Coins of Strato II, III and Strato Dikaios
The chronology of the late Indo-Greek kingdom has been established by Bopearachchi and other scholars from numismatical evidence alone. The coins deteriorated continuously, the Strato coins being the most debased and crude in style, a striking contrast to earlier kings who struck some of the most beautiful coins of antiquity.
The decay was due to the increasing pressure of the Indo-Scythian nomads on the remaining Greek pockets, as well as their long isolation from the rest of the Hellenistic world.Subsequent Indo-Scythian rulers, such as Bhadayasa designed their coins in direct imitation of those of Strato II.
Strato II, III and Strato Dikaios struck debased silver drachms, which as mentioned portray Pallas on the reverse. Strato II appears as an old man with a sunken jaw on some of his coins, which is not surprising given that his grandson was co-regent.
Strato II also issued bronzes and even lead coins of the common type Apollo/tripod. On some of Strato II's silver drachms the letter sigma is written as C, a not uncommon trait on late Hellenistic coins in the east.
INDO-GREEK KINGS AND THEIR TERRITORIES Based on Bopearachchi (1991)
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Territories/ Dates |
PAROPAMISADE
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ARACHOSIA |
GANDHARA |
WESTERN PUNJAB |
EASTERN PUNJAB
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200–190 BCE
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190–180 BCE
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50px
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185–170 BCE
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180–160 BCE
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175–170 BCE
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170–145 BCE
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160–155 BCE
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155–130 BCE
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130–120 BCE
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50px
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120–110 BCE
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50px
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50px
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110–100 BCE
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100 BCE
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50px
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100–95 BCE
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Philoxenus
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95–90 BCE
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Diomedes
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90 BCE
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50px
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Thraso
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90–85 BCE
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90–70 BCE
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50px
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Yuezhi tribes
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Maues (Indo-Scythian)
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75–70 BCE
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65–55 BCE
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Dionysios
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55–35 BCE
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Azes I (Indo-Scythian)
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55–35 BCE
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25 BCE – 10 CE
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Strato II & III
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Rajuvula (Indo-Scythian)
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See also
Notes
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