| Demetrius I | |
|---|---|
| King of Kings,[1]Basileus,King of India[2] | |
 Portrait of King Demetrius, wearing an elephant scalp and diadem, as shown on his silver coins | |
| King of Bactria | |
| Reign | c. 200 – c. 180 BC[3] |
| Predecessor | Euthydemus I |
| Successor | Euthydemus II |
| Indo-Greek king | |
| Reign | c. 200-180 BC |
| Predecessor | Position Established |
| Successor | Pantaleon |
| Born | c. 222 BC Bactria |
| Died | c. 180 BC India |
| Spouse | Daughter ofAntiochus III |
| Issue | Agathocles of Bactria Euthydemus II Demetrius II (uncertain) Berenice of Bactria |
| Dynasty | Euthydemid |
| Father | Euthydemus I |
Demetrius I Anicetus (Ancient Greek:Δημήτριος Ἀνίκητος,romanized: Dēmḗtrios Aníkētos, "Demetrius the Unconquered"), also calledDimetriya in Indian sources,[4] was aGreco-Bactrian king and the founder of theIndo-Greek kingdom, who ruled areas fromBactria to ancient northwestern India. He was the son of theGreco-Bactrian rulerEuthydemus I and succeeded him around 200 BC, after which he conquered extensive areas in what is now southernAfghanistan,Pakistan and northwesternIndia.[5]
He was never defeated in battle and was posthumously referred to as "the Unconquered" (Ἀνίκητος,Aniketos) on the pedigree coins of his successorAgathocles of Bactria.[6] Demetrius I may have been the initiator of theYavana era, starting in 186–185 BC, which was used for several centuries thereafter.
Demetrius was the name of at least two and probably three Bactrian Greek kings. The much debatedDemetrius II was a possible relative, whereasDemetrius III (c. 100 BC), is known only fromnumismatic evidence.
The father of Demetrius,Euthydemus I, was attacked by the Seleucid rulerAntiochus III around 210 BC. Although he commanded 10,000 horsemen, Euthydemus initially lost abattle on the Arius[7] and had to retreat. He then successfully resisted a three-year siege in the fortified city ofBactra, before Antiochus finally decided to recognize the new ruler.
The final negotiations were made between Antiochus III and Demetrius. Antiochus III was reportedly highly impressed by the demeanour of the young prince, and offered him one of his daughters in marriage, around 206 BC:
"And after several journeys of Teleas to and fro between the two, Euthydemus at last sent his son Demetrius to confirm the terms of the treaty. Antiochus received the young prince; and judging from his appearance, conversation, and the dignity of his manners that he was worthy of royal power, he first promised to give him one of his own daughters, and secondly conceded the royal title to his father." Polybius 11.34[8]
The term used for "young prince" isneaniskos (νεανίσκος), suggesting an age around 16, which in turn gives a birth date for Demetrius around 222 BC.
In an inscription found in theKuliab area ofTajikistan, in western Greco-Bactria, and dated to 200-195 BC,[9] a Greek by the name of Heliodotus, dedicating a fire altar toHestia, mentions Euthydemus and Demetrius:[10][9]
τόνδε σοι βωμὸν θυώδη, πρέσβα κυδίστη θεῶν
Ἑστία, Διὸς κ(α)τ᾽ ἄλσος καλλίδενδρον ἔκτισεν
καὶ κλυταῖς ἤσκησε λοιβαῖς ἐμπύροις Ἡλιόδοτος
ὄφρα τὸμ πάντων μέγιστον Εὐθύδημον βασιλέων
τοῦ τε παῖδα καλλίνικον ἐκπρεπῆ Δημήτριον
πρευμενὴς σώιζηις ἐκηδεῖ(ς) σὺν τύχαι θεόφρον[ι]
"Heliodotos dedicated this fragrant altar forHestia,
venerable goddess, illustrious amongst all, in the grove ofZeus, with beautiful trees;
he made libations and sacrifices,
so that the greatest of all kings Euthydemos,
as well as his son, the glorious, victorious and remarkable Demetrios,
be preserved from all pains, with the help ofTyche with divine thoughts."[11][12]
Demetrius started the invasion of northwestern India between 190 and 180 BC, following the destruction of theMauryan dynasty by the generalPushyamitra Shunga, who then founded the new IndianShunga dynasty (180–78 BC). In theParamparapustaka chronicle, Sri Lankan monks state thatBrihadratha, the last Mauryan Emperor, married a daughter of Demetrius, Berenice.[13] The Greco-Bactrians might have invaded the Indus Valley to protect Greek expatriates in the Indian Subcontinent. Also, the Mauryans had had diplomatic alliances with the Greeks, and they may have been considered as allies by the Greco-Bactrians.[14][15]
Demetrius may have first started to recover the province ofArachosia, an area south of the Hindu Kush already inhabited by many Greeks but ruled by the Mauryas since the annexation of the territory byChandragupta fromSeleucus. In hisParthian stations,Isidorus of Charax mentions a city namedDemetrias, supposedly founded by Demetrius himself:
"Beyond is Arachosia. And the Parthians call this White India; there are the city of Biyt and the city of Pharsana and the city of Chorochoad and the city of Demetrias; then Alexandropolis, the metropolis of Arachosia; it is Greek, and by it flows the river Arachotus. As far as this place the land is under the rule of the Parthians."[16]
The Greek geographerStrabo described the conquests of Demetrius in hisGeographica:
"The Greeks who caused Bactria to revolt grew so powerful on account of the fertility of the country that they became masters, not only of Ariana, but also of India, asApollodorus of Artemita says: and more tribes were subdued by them than by Alexander — byMenander in particular (at least if he actually crossed theHypanis towards the east and advanced as far as theImaüs), for some were subdued by him personally and others by Demetrius, the son of Euthydemus the king of the Bactrians."[17]
The Greek campaigns may have gone as far as the capitalPataliputra in eastern India (todayPatna):
"Those who came afterAlexander went to theGanges and Pataliputra" (Strabo, XV.698)
It is generally considered that Demetrius ruled inTaxila (where many of his coins were found in the archaeological site ofSirkap). The Indian records also describes Greek attacks onSaketa,Panchala,Mathura andPataliputra (Gargi-Samhita,Yuga Purana chapter). However, the campaigns to Pataliputra are generally attested to the later kingMenander I and Demetrius I probably only invaded areas inPakistan. Other kings may have expanded the territory as well. By c. 175 BC, the Indo-Greeks ruled parts of northwestern India, while the Shungas remained in the Gangetic, Central, and Eastern India.
TheHathigumpha inscription of theKalinga kingKharavela mentions that fearing him, a Yavana (Greek) king or general retreated toMathura with his demoralized army. The name of the Yavana king is not clear, but it contains three letters, and the middle letter can be read asma ormi.[18] Some historians, such asR. D. Banerji andK.P. Jayaswal reconstructed the name of the Yavana king as "Dimita", and identified him with Demetrius. However, several other historians, such asRamaprasad Chanda, Sailendra Nath Sen and P.L. Gupta disagree with this interpretation.[18][19][20]
Demetrius I died of unknown reasons, and the date 180 BC is merely a suggestion aimed to allow suitable regnal periods for subsequent kings, of which there were several. Even if some of them were co-regents, civil wars and temporary divisions of the empire are most likely.
The kingsPantaleon,Agathocles,Antimachus I and possiblyEuthydemus II ruled after Demetrius I, and theories about their origin include all of them being relatives of Demetrius I, or only Antimachus. It is highly likely that Agathocles was a son of Demetrius I. Eventually, the kingdom of Bactria fell to the able newcomerEucratides.
Demetrius II was a later king, possibly a son or nephew of his namesake, and he ruled in India only.Justin mentions him being defeated by the Bactrian kingEucratides, an event which took place at the end of the latter's reign, possibly around 150 BC. Demetrius II left behind his generalsApollodotus andMenander, who in turn became kings of India and rulers of theIndo-Greek Kingdom following his death.
Geoffrey Chaucer names Demetrius among the combatants at a tournament held in Athens byTheseus:
The grete Emetreus, the kyng of Inde,
Upon a steede bay trapped in steel,
Covered in clooth of gold, dyapred weel,
Cam ridynge lyk the God of armes, Mars.
— Geoffrey Chaucer,The Knight's Tale, ll. 2156-2159
Lucas Christopoulos’s article explores the idea that Demetrius of Bactria, was later remembered in Buddhist traditions as the divine figure DevaGobujo (Wubujing)in China and in Japan. He argues that this transformation reflects a process of religious and cultural syncretism, where Demetrius became absorbed into Buddhist cosmologies. Christopoulos shows how Demetrius became worshipped later as a protector of the Dharma. He situates this within a wider context of Hellenistic influence reaching Central and East Asia mainly from Gandhara, passing through the Tarim Basin and the Gansu (Hexi) corridor.[21]
The coins of Demetrius are of five types. One bilingual type withGreek andKharoshthi legends exists; it is naturally associated with the IndianDemetrius II. A series with the king in diadem are likely to be early issues of Demetrius I.
There is also one series representing aGorgon shield on the obverse and a trident on the reverse.
There are also three types depicting elephants. The first type shows Demetrius (I) with elephant-crown, a well-known symbol of India, which simply denotes his conquests in India, asAlexander the Great had also done on his coinage before. One type represents an elephant withNike on the other side holding a wreath of victory. This sort of symbolism can be seen on the reverse of the coins ofAntialcidas in which Nike (supported byZeus) directly hands the victory wreath to the elephant on the same coin face.
The year 186 BC, with the invasion of the Greco-Bactrians into India, marks an evolution in the design of single-die cast coins in the coinage of Gandhara, as deities and realistic animals were introduced. At the same time coinage technology also evolved, as double-die coins (engraved on both sides, obverse and reverse) started to appear. The archaeological excavations of coins have shown that these coins, as well as the new double die coins, were contemporary with those of theIndo-Greeks.[22] According toOsmund Bopearachchi these coins, and particularly those depicting the goddessLakshmi, were probably minted by Demetrius I following his invasion of Gandhara.[23]
Buddhism flourished under the Indo-Greek kings, and it has been suggested byW. W. Tarn that their invasion of India was intended to show their support for theMauryan empire in reaction to the persecution by theSungas against Buddhism. However, that persecution in turn is debatable, with contemporary historians such asRomila Thapar suggesting that some of the accounts might be the product of exaggeration from Buddhist missionaries. Thapar attributes purely economic motivations to the Indo-Greek invasion of Southern Asia.[24]
One of Demetrius' "elephant" types represents a rejoicing elephant, depicted on the front on the coin and surrounded by the royal bead-and-reel decoration, and therefore treated on the same level as a King. The elephant, one of the symbols of Buddhism andGautama Buddha, possibly represents the victory ofBuddhism brought about by Demetrius. Alternatively, though, the elephant has been described as a possible symbol of the Indian capital ofTaxila (Tarn), or as a symbol of India as a whole.
The reverse of the coin depicts thecaduceus, symbol of reconciliation between two fighting serpents, which is possibly a representation of peace between the Greeks and theShungas, and likewise between Buddhism andHinduism (thecaduceus also appears as a symbol of thepunch-marked coins of theMaurya Empire in India, in the 3rd-2nd century BC).
Unambiguous Buddhist symbols are found on later Greek coins ofMenander I orMenander II, but the conquests of Demetrius I did influence the Buddhist religion in India.
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Demetrius proceeded towards India and annexed the Kabul valley, Sindh and a part of Punjab. He came to be known as the "King of Kings".
| Preceded by | Greco-Bactrian Ruler andIndo-Greek king 205 – 171 BCE | Succeeded by |
| Succeeded by | ||
| Succeeded by |
