Artemidorus Anicetus (Greek: Ἀρτεμίδωρος ὁ Ἀνίκητος, Artemídо̄ros ho Aníkētos, meaning "Artemidorus the Invincible") was a king who ruled in the area of Gandhara and Pushkalavati in modern northern Pakistan and Afghanistan.
| Artemidoros Aniketos | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Artemidoros | |
| Indo-Greek king | |
| Reign | 85–80 BCE or 100–80 BCE |
Obverse: diademed bust of king. With Greek legend ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΝΙΚΗΤΟΥ ΑΡΤΕΜΙΔΩΡΟΥ, "Of the Invincible King Artemidorus"
Reverse: Artemis, the eponymous goddess of hunting, using a curved bow.
A son of Maues?
editArtemidorus is a Greek name meaning "gift of Artemis", and has traditionally been seen as an Indo-Greek king. His remaining coins generally feature portraits of Artemidorus and Hellenistic deities and are typical of Indo-Greek rulers, but on a coin described by numismatician R. C. Senior, Artemidorus seems to claim to be the son of the Indo-Scythian king Maues. Not only does this coin enable a closer dating of Artemidorus; it also sheds new light on the transient ethnic identities during the decline of the Indo-Greek kingdom.
While Maues was 'Great King of Kings', Artemidorus only styled himself King; it appears as though he ruled only a smaller part of his father's dominions. He was either challenged by or ruled in tandem with other kings such as Menander II, whose coins have been found alongside his, and Apollodotus II.
New evaluation
editIn a 2009 article however, Osmund Bopearachchi disputes the interpretation of the coin according to which Artemidorus would be son of Maues. The analysis of several similar coins in good condition reveals that the obverse should be read rajatirajasa moasa putrasa ca artemidorosa, the ca (pronounced "cha") meaning "and", which opens the way to a possible translation being "King of kings Maues, and the son of Artemidorus". This would suggest that the son of Artemidorus would have issued coins in the name of his father, recognizing at the same time the suzerainty of Maues. In that case, Artemidorus would have been a regular Indo-Greek king, whose son simply made a transition with the rule of Maues.[1]
Time of rule
editBopearachchi has suggested a date of c. 85-80 BCE, but this was before the appearance of the Maues coin. Senior's dating is wider, c. 100–80 BCE, because Senior has given Maues an earlier date.
Coins
editDuring the 1990s, several new types of Artemidorus' coins appeared, of variable quality. R. C. Senior has suggested that Artemidorus relied mostly on temporary mints, perhaps because he held no major cities. All his coins were Indian bilinguals.
Silver:
Obverse: diademed or helmeted bust of king. Reverse: Artemis facing left or right, Nike facing left or right, or king on horseback.
Artemis, the eponymous goddess of hunting, is seen using a curved bow, which may have been typical of Scythian tribes and further supports his affiliation with them.
Bronzes:
Artemis / humped bull or Artemis / lion.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Bopearachchi, Osmund (September 2008). "Was Indo-Greek Artemidoros the son of Indo-Sctythian Maues?". Numismatika Kronika (27): 25–36. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
- The Shape of Ancient Thought. Comparative studies in Greek and Indian Philosophies by Thomas McEvilley (Allworth Press and the School of Visual Arts, 2002) ISBN 1-58115-203-5
- The Greeks in Bactria and India, W. W. Tarn, Cambridge University Press.