AGATHOCLEIA AND STRATO I
Rulers of Sauvira and
West Punjab (138 to 135 B.C.)
Strato 1 (135 B.C to 80 B.C)
#Agathoclea or Agathokleia I Theatropos was an Indo-Greek #queen married to Menander I, who ruled in parts of northern India in the 2nd-century BC as regent for her son #Strato I”
It is generally believed that Agathocleia, presumably the youngest child of #Demetrius, was Menander’s queen.
This may well have been the case, though the evidence at our disposal at the moment is not conclusive. She acted as the #regent for her young son, Strato I and jointly issued coins with him. They ruled in the western Panjab,
with probably Sakala as their capital, and must have derived their authority from #Menander, the previous #ruler.
Some clues to their relationship with Menander are afforded by their coins also. They are:-
The #bust of #Athena helmeted, which appears on the coins of Menander is perhaps the portrait of Agathocleia. It resembles with her own bust on the #coins, she struck in association with Strato. Possibly Menander considered her appearance #god-like. Her husband’s
idea may have been at the back of her assumption of the title (God-like) on the coins, she issued as the regent. The figure of a warrior king on the reverse of certain coins struck by Agathocleia during #Strato’s minority and bearing her own portrait, may be supposed to represent the late king. A similar figure
occurs as the obverse type on the coins of Menander, where it is most naturally explained as that of Menander himself.
For the next two generations clear evidence is supplied by the coins issued by Agathocleia, in association with her son and by Strato, ruling at first alone and afterwards in association with his grandson, Strato II Philopator.
On the earliest of these coins Agathocleia appears as #queen
regent, holding the place of honour with her portrait and
Greek #inscription on the obverse, while the Kharoshthi legend of the young prince occupies a subordinate position
on the reverse. Afterwards, the combined #portraits of son declare their association in the government and later still, a series of portraits shows
Strato first reigning alone, as a youth or as a bearded man and then in advanced old age, with toothless jaws
and sunken cheeks both, as the Kharoshthi legend indicates, reigning alone and in association with his grandson, Strato II Philopator & Still later #portraits show him ruling alone even after the death of Strato II. The
Coin-portraits of Strato I thus provide a vivid testimony to a long life and a long reign. If we assign him seventy years ot
life, he must hae died about 82 B. C, since at the time of Menanders death, which occurred about 138 B. C, he may
have been fifteen years old. We must assign at least three years to the joint rule of Agathocleia and Strato I before the latter reached majority at eighteen and began to rule alone, ie a reasonable interval for the former to issue two series of coins, the first bearing her own portrait alone with
Strato’s name in the #Kharoshthl, the second showing the jugate busts of herself and Strato. This interval should
also be long enough to allow for the invasion of Heliocles, who overstruck their joint issues. Strato inherited extensive dominions from Menander.
But soon after accession, possibly even during the regency of Agathocleia, these began to shrink. A couple
of years after the termination of Agthocleia #regency, Heliocles recovered Kapisi and began to overstrike with his bilingual Kapisi type the joint issues of the mother and son as well as those of Strato reigning alone.
Shortly afterwards, he seems to have annexed even Gandhara. His types, bust of king elephant and
bust of king humped bull, were, no doubt, produced in Kapiši and Pushkalavati respectively after the recovery of these towns, He may have advanced as far as the Indus.
But we are not sure if it was, Heliocles who crossed it and occupied Taxila. Antialkidas, believed to be his son,
was ruling in this town about the year 100 B. C Possibly, it was the achievement of #Antialkidas himself. Strato had anyhow lost Taxila before 100 B. C. when, it is known
ambassadorial relations existed between the Sungas and
the #Eukratidean family, the traditional enemies of the #Euthidemid house. One should naturally expect that Strato lost some territory on his eastern borders as well. But nothing definite is known. Sindh appears to have been lost much earlier to the Sakas, who about 80 B.C. finally overwhelmed Strato, in his helpless old age, thereby practically wiping out the Euthydemid house. Soon they obliterated the last trace of Yavana rule in Indo-Bactria.
References: Indo Greek Coins by Dr M V D Mohan
Observation 1:
Draped and helmated bust of queen as (Athene) without diadem
Reverse: Harakles seated one on rock, club held in right hand and resting on knee
Another Coin
Observation: Conjugate busts of Strato 1 & Agathocleia r draped Strato alone wears diadem
Reverse Type Anthene promavhos
Another Coin
Draped helmeted and diademed bust of boyish king
Reverse: Same as above
Another Coin
Draped bust of youthful bearded king Died. Both ends stiffy suspended
Reverse: Same as above