title: Demetrius II of India
text: # Demetrius II of India
  
  Demetrius II (Greek: Δημήτριος) was an Indo-Greek king who ruled briefly during the 2nd century BC. Little is known about him and there are different views about how to date him. Earlier authors such as Tarn and Narain saw him as a son and sub-king of Demetrius I, but this view has now been abandoned.
  
  Osmund Bopearachchi has suggested that he ruled in Bactria and Arachosia c. 175–170 BC, but this has been challenged by later authors. R. C. Senior instead prefers c. 175–140 BC, and this is supported by L M Wilson who also assumes from numismatical clues and portrait likeness that Demetrius II was a relative of Eucratides the Great. The later dating is supported by the circumstance that no coins of Demetrius II have been found in the ruins of Ai Khanoum, which was presumably destroyed during the reign of Eucratides I.
  
  ## Coinage
  
  Demetrius II issued only silver and mostly tetradrachms, another trait which he has in common with the last Bactrian kings. The obverse shows a diademed portrait, with a standing Pallas Athene holding a spear on the reverse. Unlike most of his contemporaries, he has no epithet. Demetrius II is depicted as a young man, though his features differ considerably among the different issues. Several coins are struck off-center and crudely; this suggests that Demetrius II used a number of temporary mints.
  
  ## Identification
  
  Roman historian Justin names a "Demetrius, king of the Indians," who was an enemy of Eucratides the Great (reigned 172/171–145 BC). Justin's Demetrius beleaguered the warlike Eucratides with an army of 60,000 men against the latter's garrison of 300, but still — according to the probably exaggerated account — eventually was defeated. This episode is referred to as occurring at the end of the reign of Eucratides, hence dating the death of Justin's Demetrius around 150 BC.
  
  However, the king mentioned by Justin is not easily reconciled with the numismatic evidence, and views are divided as for how to interpret the various coinage series bearing the name Demetrius. Bopearachchi has identified three kings named Demetrius. Demetrius I reigned in Bactria and India c. 200-185 BC, well before the rise of Eucratides, and Demetrius III was an Indian king who is thought to have ruled much later, around 100 BC. There remains Demetrius II, who Bopearachchi suggested reigned around 170 BC.
  
  Bopearachchi identified Demetrius II with Justin’s Demetrius of India, notwithstanding the fact that Justin's quote suggests a later reign. Furthermore, Bopearachchi’s Demetrius II reigned in Bactria and not in India, as he struck no coins with Indian legends. Therefore, the identity of Justin's Demetrius, king of the Indians, remains uncertain. The following hypotheses may be considered:
  
  * The account of Justin, who is a second-hand source, is confused. Either Demetrius II was not king of India but Bactria, or the account of the war is mixed up, or the king's name is wrong, Justin having confused the name of another Indo-Greek king with that of Demetrius I.
  * Bopearachchi's Demetrius III could be placed earlier - this king's coins are few and rather peculiar - and Demetrius III was in fact Justin's Demetrius who ruled half a century earlier.
  
  Even if Justin's Demetrius, king of the Indians existed, this does not foreclose the possibility that Eucratides also had a son named Demetrius, which was a common dynastic name at the time. The prince may have been named after the Seleucid Demetrius I Soter.
  
  vteGreco-Bactrian and Indo-Greek kings, territories and chronology :
  
  Based on Bopearachchi (1991) :
  
  Greco-Bactrian kings
  
  Indo-Greek kings
  
  Territories/ datesWest BactriaEast BactriaParopamisade ArachosiaGandharaWestern PunjabEastern PunjabMathura
  
  326-325 BCE
  
  Campaigns of Alexander the Great in India
  
  Nanda Empire
  
  312 BCE
  
  Creation of the Seleucid Empire
  
  Creation of the Maurya Empire
  
  305 BCE
  
  Seleucid Empire after Mauryan war
  
  Maurya Empire
  
  280 BCE
  
  Foundation of Ai-Khanoum
  
  255–239 BCE
  
  Independence of the Greco-Bactrian kingdom Diodotus I
  
  Emperor Ashoka (268-232)
  
  239–223 BCE
  
  Diodotus II
  
  230–200 BCE
  
  Euthydemus I
  
  200–190 BCE
  
  Demetrius I
  
  Sunga Empire
  
  190-185 BCE
  
  Euthydemus II
  
  190–180 BCE
  
  Agathocles
  
  Pantaleon
  
  185–170 BCE
  
  Antimachus I
  
  180–160 BCE
  
  Apollodotus I
  
  175–170 BCE
  
  Demetrius II
  
  160–155 BCE
  
  Antimachus II
  
  170–145 BCE
  
  Eucratides I
  
  155–130 BCE
  
  Yuezhi occupation, loss of Ai-Khanoum
  
  Eucratides II Plato Heliocles I
  
  Menander I
  
  130–120 BCE
  
  Yuezhi occupation
  
  Zoilus I
  
  Agathoclea
  
  Yavanarajya inscription
  
  120–110 BCE
  
  Lysias
  
  Strato I
  
  110–100 BCE
  
  Antialcidas
  
  Heliocles II
  
  100 BCE
  
  Polyxenus
  
  Demetrius III
  
  100–95 BCE
  
  Philoxenus
  
  95–90 BCE
  
  Diomedes
  
  Amyntas
  
  Epander
  
  90 BCE
  
  Theophilus
  
  Peucolaus
  
  Thraso
  
  90–85 BCE
  
  Nicias
  
  Menander II
  
  Artemidorus
  
  90–70 BCE
  
  Hermaeus
  
  Archebius
  
  Yuezhi occupation
  
  Maues (Indo-Scythian)
  
  75–70 BCE
  
  Vonones
  
  Telephus
  
  Apollodotus II
  
  65–55 BCE
  
  Spalirises
  
  Hippostratus
  
  Dionysius
  
  55–35 BCE
  
  Azes I (Indo-Scythians)
  
  Zoilus II
  
  55–35 BCE
  
  Vijayamitra/ Azilises
  
  Apollophanes
  
  25 BCE – 10 CE
  
  Gondophares
  
  Zeionises
  
  Kharahostes
  
  Strato II Strato III
  
  Gondophares (Indo-Parthian)
  
  Rajuvula (Indo-Scythian)
  
  Kujula Kadphises (Kushan Empire)
  
  Bhadayasa (Indo-Scythian)
  
  Sodasa (Indo-Scythian)
  
  ↑ O. Bopearachchi, "Monnaies gréco-bactriennes et indo-grecques, Catalogue raisonné", Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, 1991, p.453↑ Quintanilla, Sonya Rhie (2 April 2019). "History of Early Stone Sculpture at Mathura: Ca. 150 BCE - 100 CE". BRILL – via Google Books. :
  
  