ancient indian history

Heliokles

Heliocles was a Greco-Bactrian king, and successor of Eucratides the Great, and considered the last Greek king to reign over the Bactrian country.
He was a king of the Indo-Greek dynasty which ruled Bactria & mostly the parts of the modern state of Pakistan.
Eukratides, who rose in £revolt and drove the Demetrian family out of Bactria, was succeeded by his parricide
son, Heliocles. This is indicated by provenance of coins and by the uni-lingual legends on an early type of Heliokles. It is admitted that the coins issued in Bactria bore only
Greek legends. Barring Plato and Eukratides Il, who were subordinate rulers, he was the last Greek king to
rule north of the Hindu Koh, and is believed to have been driven south by the Sakas, who imitated his coin types. Wherever the Saka nomads went they copied the coin-types of the supplanted rulers. Thus he was Eukratides successor in Bactria. Commemorative medallions of Eukratides indicate that his father’s name was Heliokles. Among the Greeks the grandfather and the eldest grandson generally bore the same name.
Hence our belief that Heliokles, the successor of Eukratides in
Bactria, was the eldest grandson of Heliokles and Laodike
of Eukratides commemorative medallions, i.e. he was
Eukratides eldest son, probably the one who is stated to have assassinated him, driven his chariot over his dead
body and ordered the corpse to be cast away unburied.
Heliocles II was involved in a series of wars especially with Strato in Gandhara and Punjab. Heliocles II overstruck many of his coins. During this period, a number of kings fought for hegemony in the Indo-Greek territories. Some of them were supported by the Saka rulers like Maues.
https://youtu.be/S7A8xThk9fo

HELIOCLES King of Bactria, Kapisa and Gandhara. – 170 to 135 B.C.

A. Attic tatradrachm B-M. and P.M.
References E.J. Rapson, C.H.I. Pl. IV.8: R.B. Whitehead, L.M.C… Sec-1, no. 133, Pl.III. M. V. D. Mohan, Indo Greek Coins, p. 194, Pl-VI, 1.
Obv: Draped bust of Heliocles r., diad. both ends suspended stiffly.
Rev: Draped Zeus standing facing, 1- heel lifted, holding thunderbolt in r. hand and 1. hand supported on a long sceptre. To 1. mon. 141.
R. BAΣIIΛEΩΣ. 1. HΛIOKΛEOYΣ in exergue ∆IKAIOY.
2.AR. B.M.
References: A.K. Narain, Indo-Greeks, Pl. II-6, M.V.D. Mohan, Indo Greek Coins, p.195, pl. VI, 2.
Obv: Draped and helmeted bust of Heliocles r-. diad. one end floating, the other stiffly suspended.
Rev Top BAΣIIΛEΩΣ… ∆IKAIOY. below HΛIOKΛEOYΣ

 

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