Apollodotus I

Apollodotus I was an Indo-Greek king between 180 and 160 BCE who ruled the western and southern parts of the Indo-Greek kingdom, from Taxila in Punjab to the areas of Sindh and Gujarat.

Ruler of the Indo-Greek kingdom

Apollodotus was a contemporary of Menander I, although it seems the reign of Apollodotus preceded that of Menander, who was the general in charge of the Eastern territories during his reign.

The usurper Eucratides probably killed Apollodotus when he invaded the western territories of the Indo-Greeks around 160 BCE. Eventually Menander managed to repell Eucratides beyond the Hindu-Kush, took the title of King, and ruled alone nearly all the northwestern area of the Indian sub-continent.

An abundant multi-cultural coinage

legend MAHARAJASA TRATARASA APALADATASA "Saviour King Apollodotus".

Actual size: 15mm, 1.4 grams.
Apollodotus also issued a great number of bilingual Indian-standard square coins. Beside the usual royal title, the exact significance of the animals depicted on the coins is unclear. The sacred elephant may be the symbol of the city of Taxila, or possibly the symbol of the white elephant who reputedly entered in dream the womb the mother of the Buddha, Queen Maya, which would make it a symbol of Buddhism, one of the central religion of the Indo-Greek territories. Similarly, the sacred cow on the reverse may be a symbol of a city (Pushkhalavati), or a depiction of Shiva's cow, making it a symbol of Brahmanism, the other major religion at that time.

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