Pantaleon (Ancient Greek: Πανταλέων, Pantaléōn) was a Greek king who reigned some time between 190 and 180 BC in Bactria and India. He was a younger contemporary or successor of the Greco-Bactrian king Demetrius, and is sometimes believed to have been his brother and/or subking.
| Pantaleon | |
|---|---|
 Cupro-nickel coin of Pantaleon. Greek legend reads: BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΠANTAΛEONTOΣ, "of king Pantaleon." | |
| Indo-Greek king | |
| Reign | 190–180 BC |
| Predecessor | Demetrius I |
| Successor | Agathocles |
| Died | 180 BCE |
| Dynasty | Euthydemid dynasty |
| Father | Euthydemus I |
The scarcity of his coinage indicates a short reign. Known evidence suggests that he was replaced by his (probable) brother or son Agathocles, by whom he was commemorated on a "pedigree" coin.[1]
Copper-Nickel coinage
editSome of his coins (as well as those of Agathocles and Euthydemus II) have another surprising characteristic: they are made of copper-nickel alloy, a technology that would not be developed in the West until the 18th century (some 1,890 years later), but was known by the Chinese at the time. This suggests that exchanges of the metallic alloy or technicians happened between China and the region of Bactria.[2]
Bilingual Indian-standard coinage
editHe was the first Greek king to strike Indian coins, peculiar irregular bronzes representing a lion with a dancing Indian woman, probably the goddess Lakshmi (a type also known in the Post-Mauryan coinage of Gandhara), which suggests he had his base in Arachosia and Gandhara and wanted support from the native population.
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King Pantaleon in profile, with seated Zeus on the reverse. Greek legend reads: BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΠANTAΛEONTOΣ, Basileо̄s Pantaleontos, "of king Pantaleon." -
Agathocles' commemorative coin for Pantaleon, represented on the obverse and described with the epithet Soter, meaning "savior".
References
edit- ^ "The COININDIA Coin Galleries: Greek: Agathocles or Agathokles". coinindia.com. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
- ^ "Copper-Nickel coinage in Greco-Bactria". Archived from the original on 2005-03-06. Retrieved 2004-10-30.