Apollophanes

:"Apollophanes" is also a spider genus (Philodromidae).
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thumb|350px|Silver_drachm_of_king_Apollophanes (r. 35-25 BCE).
Obv: Helmeted bust of king. Greek

Rev: Pallas with aegis and thunderbolt. Kharoshthi

Apollophanes Soter (reigned circa 35 BCE - 25 BCE) was an Indo-Greek king in the area of eastern and central Punjab in modern India and Pakistan. Little is known about him, except for some of his remaining coins. The dating is Osmund Bopearachchi's, but RC Senior suggests approximately the same dates. Earlier scholars, such as Professor Ahmed Hasan Dani, W.W. Tarn and A.K. Narain dated Apollophanes considerably earlier, but the style and finding places of his coins make it clear that he belonged to the last line of eastern Indo-Greek kings, not long before they were overcome completely by pressure from the Indo-Scythians.

He may have been a relative of Apollodotus II Soter since both kings share the epithet "Soter" (Saviour), have names related to Apollo and use Pallas Athene as their reverse.

Coins of Apollophanes

Apollophanes issued a few debased silver drachms of the type seen above, struck with a single monogram and of little artistic quality. He seems to have been an insignificant local ruler. Apollophanes wears what appears to be a Macedonian helmet of the type seen on the Alexander Mosaic which he was the last Indo-Greek ruler to use.

ee also

* Greco-Bactrian Kingdom
* Seleucid Empire
* Greco-Buddhism
* Indo-Scythians
* Indo-Parthian Kingdom
* Kushan Empire

References

* "The Greeks in Bactria and India", W.W. Tarn, Cambridge University Press.
* "The Bactrian and Indus Greeks", Prof. Ahmed Hasan Dani, Lahore Museum
* "The Indo-Greeks - Revisited and Supplemented", Dr. A.K. Narain, BR Publishing Corporation
* "Monnaies Gréco-Bactriennes et Indo-Grecques", Osmund Bopearachchi, Bibliothèque Nationale de France.

Apollophanes the dramatist

Apollophanes was also the name of an Athenian writer of comedies who flourished in the 4th century BCE.