Eucratides I
King who seized the Greco-Bactrian throne and left behind the largest gold coin of antiquity.
Life
Usurped the throne
Around 171 BCE Eucratides usurped the throne of the Euthydemid family, becoming the Greek king of Bactria (roughly present-day northern Afghanistan and southern Uzbekistan).
Campaign east into India
He fought long wars with Demetrius and other Greek princes in the east, at one point extending his power into northwestern India; meanwhile, Mithridates I of Parthia took part of his territory from the west. According to the Roman historian Justin, he was killed by his own son on his way home in triumph.
Gold Coins
The 20-stater gold coin he issued weighs about 169 grams and is the largest gold coin of the ancient world; it is now held in the National Library of France. Soon after his death, the Greater Yuezhi and other nomadic peoples advanced south, and the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom fell.
Legacy
Eucratides was one of the last powerful kings at the eastern edge of the Hellenistic world, and the heyday of the site of Ai-Khanoum roughly coincided with his reign.
Major works & achievements
- 20-stater gold coin
Did you know? On his coins the king wears a cavalry helmet decorated with bull's horns and a crest, one of the most famous images in Hellenistic coinage.
Key dates
- 171 BCEUsurped the throne (approx.)
- 160 BCEWars with Demetrius and others (approx.)
- 145 BCEKilled by his son (approx.)