The Euthydemid dynasty was a

Hellenistic In Classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Mediterranean history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the emergence of the Roman Empire, as signified by the Battle of Actium in ...

dynasty founded by

Euthydemus I Euthydemus I (Greek: , ''Euthydemos'') c. 260 BC – 200/195 BC) was a Greco-Bactrian king and founder of the Euthydemid dynasty. He is thought to have originally been a governor (Satrap) of Sogdia, who seized the throne by force from Diodotus I ...

in 230 BC which ruled the

Greco-Bactrian The Bactrian Kingdom, known to historians as the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom or simply Greco-Bactria, was a Hellenistic-era Greek state, and along with the Indo-Greek Kingdom, the easternmost part of the Hellenistic world in Central Asia and the India ...

and

Indo-Greek kingdoms The Indo-Greek Kingdom, or Graeco-Indian Kingdom, also known historically as the Yavana Kingdom (Yavanarajya), was a Hellenistic-era Greek kingdom covering various parts of Afghanistan and the northwestern regions of the Indian subcontinent ( ...

throughout the Hellenistic period from 230 BC to 10 AD, upon the death of its last ruler,

Strato III Strato III Philopator ( el, Στράτων Γ΄ Φιλοπάτωρ; epither means "the Father-loving") was an Indo-Greek king who ruled c. 25 BCE to 10 CE. He is only known through the joint coins with his father Strato II. He may have been su ...

in Gandhara.

History

It is possible that Euthydemus was a son of a certain Antimachus (born 295 BC) and a grandson of

Sophytes Sophytes, or Saubhuti was the name of a king in Bactria or the northwestern Indian subcontinent during the time of the Alexander's invasion. Sophytes surrendered to Alexander and was allowed to retain his kingdom. Probably another Sophytes, who wa ...

, a satrap or ruler of Bactria in around 300 BC. Euthydemus was a satrap of

Sogdiana Sogdia ( Sogdian: ) or Sogdiana was an ancient Iranian civilization between the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya, and in present-day Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Sogdiana was also a province of the Achaemenid Empi ...

that was married to a sister of

Diodotus II Diodotus II Theos (Greek: , ''Diódotos Theós''; died c. 225 BC) was the son and successor of Diodotus I Soter, who rebelled against the Seleucid empire, establishing the Graeco-Bactrian Kingdom. Diodotus II probably ruled alongside his father ...

, son of the original rebel,

Diodotus I Diodotus I Soter (Greek: , ''Diódotos Sōtḗr''; c. 315-300 BC – c. 235 BC), was the first Hellenistic King of Bactria. Diodotus became independent of the Seleucid empire around 255 or 245 BC, and established the Diodotid Bactrian Kingdom, w ...

. He usurped the throne from Diodotus II or perhaps Antiochus Nikator and became ruler of the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom. Later on in his reign, he faced an invasion by the younger and ambitious

Antiochus III the Great Antiochus III the Great (; grc-gre, Ἀντίoχoς Μέγας ; c. 2413 July 187 BC) was a Greek Hellenistic king and the 6th ruler of the Seleucid Empire, reigning from 222 to 187 BC. He ruled over the region of Syria and large parts of the res ...

. He was defeated on the Arius but successively waited out Antiochus in his capital

Bactra ), named for its green-tiled ''Gonbad'' ( prs, گُنبَد, dome), in July 2001 , pushpin_map=Afghanistan#Bactria#West Asia , pushpin_relief=yes , pushpin_label_position=bottom , pushpin_mapsize=300 , pushpin_map_caption=Location in Afghanistan ...

. His peace treaty with Antiochus granted his son Demetrius I a marriage to an unnamed daughter of Antiochus. His son Demetrius I would go on to invade northern India and establish the

Indo-Greek kingdom The Indo-Greek Kingdom, or Graeco-Indian Kingdom, also known historically as the Yavana Kingdom (Yavanarajya), was a Hellenistic-era Greek kingdom covering various parts of Afghanistan and the northwestern regions of the Indian subcontinent (p ...

. After Demetrius's sons

Agathocles Agathocles ( Greek: ) is a Greek name, the most famous of which is Agathocles of Syracuse, the tyrant of Syracuse. The name is derived from , ''agathos'', i.e. "good" and , ''kleos'', i.e. "glory". Other personalities named Agathocles: *Agathocles ...

Euthydemus II Euthydemus II (Greek: ) was a Greco-Bactrian king who ruled in Bactria in 185-180 BCE. Rule Son of Demetrius I of Bactria, Euthydemus II became king in the 180s BCE, either after his father's death or as a sub-king to him. The style and rare nick ...

and perhaps even Demetrius II rule over the Greco-Bactrian and Indo-Greek kingdoms, it becomes harder to pinpoint which of the following rulers were related to each other, or even if they were members of the Euthydemid dynasty. It is possible however, that the powerful king

Menander I Menander I Soter ( grc, Μένανδρος Σωτήρ, Ménandros Sōtḗr, Menander the Saviour; pi, मिलिन्दो, Milinda), was a Greco-Bactrian and later Indo-Greek King (reigned c.165/155Bopearachchi (1998) and (1991), respectivel ...

was a member of this dynasty.

Rulers

Precise members of this royal family cannot be fully reconstructed due to the lack of evidence and only a remaining vast coinage of following rulers. Demetrius's successor, Agathocles, left behind extensive coinage that helped reconstruct part of the dynasty.No undisputed coins of Demetrius I himself use this title, but it is employed on one of the pedigree coins issued by

, which bear on the reverse the classical profile of Demetrius crowned by the elephant scalp, with the legend DEMETRIOU ANIKETOU, and on the reverse Herakles crowning himself, with the legend "Of king Agathocles" (Boppearachchi, Pl 8). Coins of the supposed Demetrius III also use the title "Invincible", and therefore are attributed by some to the same Demetrius (Whitehead and al.) Some of the more certain rulers are: *

(330-300 BC) satrap of the

Paropamisadae Paropamisadae or Parapamisadae (Greek: Παροπαμισάδαι) was a satrapy of the Alexandrian Empire in modern Afghanistan and Pakistan, which largely coincided with the Achaemenid province of Parupraesanna. It consisted of the districts ...

, welcomed

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, wikt:Ἀλέξανδρος, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Maced ...

and the grandfather of Euthydemus I * Euthydemus I (260-195 BC) eponymous founder of the dynasty * Demetrius I (222-180 BC) most famous of the Euthydemids - invaded India * Euthydemus II ( c. 200-185 BC) Son of Euthydemus I *

Pantaleon Pantaleon, also known as Panteleimon, (Greek: ) was a Greek king who reigned some time between 190–180 BC in Bactria and India. He was a younger contemporary or successor of the Greco-Bactrian king Demetrius, and is sometimes believed to ha ...

(190-180 BC) Son of Euthydemus I * Demetrius II (fl. 175-140 BC) * Antimachus I (c.171-160 BC) Son of Euthydemus I * Antimachus II (c. 170-165 BC) * Menander I (c. 165/155-130 BC) married Agathoclia, father of

Strato I Straton or Strato may refer to: * Strato I, Indo-Greek king * Strato II, Indo-Greek king * Strato of Lampsacus (c. 335 – c. 269 BC), Greek philosopher * Straton of Sardis, Greek poet and anthologist * Abdashtart I (Straton I, 365–352 BC), king ...

* Agathoclia I (c. 130-125 BC) widow of Menander, ruled as regent for son, Strato I. * Strato I (c. 125-105 BC) son of Menander I and Agathoclia I. * Demetrius III (c. 105-100 BC) * Amyntas I (c. 100-90 BC) *

Menander II Menander II Dikaios (Greek: ; epithet means "the Just") may have been an Indo-Greek King who ruled in the areas of Arachosia and Gandhara in the north of modern Pakistan. However, since he is entirely known through his coins, this may have jus ...

(c. 105 BC) * Demetrius IV (c. 80 BC) * Strato II (c.30 BC) * Strato III (c.10 AD) last ruler of *Demetrius V (c. 10 AD) ? potential claimant ruler Following these rulers, it becomes increasingly hard to date or connect them to any family, as they may have been usurpers, but the Euthydemids remained the most constant and long reigning dynasty of Greek Bactria and India.

References

{{Authority control Indo-Greek kings Greco-Bactrian kings Hellenistic dynasties

History

Rulers

See also

References