Ameridarch ormeridarches (Greek:μεριδάρχης, frommeris, "division", and-arches, "ruler") was the civil governor of a province in theHellenistic world (4th–1st centuries BCE), and could be translated as "Divisional Commissioner". Only three mentions of meridarchs are known from ancient sources, one fromPalestine, the two others from theIndo-Greek kingdom in India, one on a vase fromSwat, the other on a copper plate fromTaxila.
Shortly after 153 BCE,Josephus relates,Alexander Balas appointedJonathan Maccabeus asstrategos (general) and meridarch (civil governor of a province) ofJudea, and sent him back with honors toJerusalem (I Macc. x. 51–66; Josephus, "Ant." xiii. 4, § 1).
At the far eastern end of the Hellenistic world, in northern India, an inscription inKharoshthi has been found on a relic vase in Swāt, referring to a "meridarch Theodorus" and his enshrinement of relics of theBuddha:
Theudorena meridarkhena pratithavida ime sarira sakamunisa bhagavato bahu-jana-stitiye.
The meridarch Theodorus has enshrined relics of LordShakyamuni, for the welfare of the mass of the people
— Swāt relic vase inscription of the Meridarkh Theodoros[1])
Another mention of a Meridarch appears on theTaxila "meridarch" plate. The plate reads:
By....., the Meridarch, together with his wife. thestupa was established, in honor of (his) mother and father, for the presentation of a respectful offering.
— Taxila plate inscription.[2]
.jpg) | Thisancient Greece–related article is astub. You can help Wikipedia byadding missing information. |