Diodotus-I Was Asoka  

        The legacy of the Macedonians and Greeks in India is yet to be truthfully acknowledged.

The pillars of Asoka are the first examples of Indian Buddhist art, and a careful study shows that at least one of them was an altar of Alexander brought from Topra near Chandigarh.

This reveals the timeless heritage of Alexander in India. The Greek contribution to Indian culture goes far beyond 

Vestiges of Hellenistic art at Sanchi 

the Buddha icon. Buddhism, in this sense, is an universal religion in which people of many nations participated. Incidentally one of the recently discovered Bamiyan fragments is written in cursive Greek script and contains passages praising various Buddhas.

This mentions Lokeśvara-râja Buddha (λωγοασφαροραζο βοδδο) which may correspond to the name Luqman.

       Significantly, just as Diodotus has only coins but no inscriptions, his contemporary and neighbour Asoka has only inscriptions but no coins. This clearly indicates that Asoka and Diodotus complement each other. H. P. Ray's satisfaction about Asoka's coins is bizarre. Asoka never refers to his neighbour Diodotus because he was Diodotus himself. It is very likely that the Asokan Pillar which was brought to Delhi from Punjab was in fact a re-inscribed altar of Alexander.

……………………………………………………………………Morton & Eden to Sell 5,000 Greek and Roman Coins from the Seaver Collection Greek_Medal_Thumb

From Satrap to King

Antiochus ISome of the earliest Greek coinage struck in Baktria is attributed to the mint of Ai Khanoum,

a “lost city” rediscovered only in 1961[2]. Gold staters and silver tetradrachms were issued in the name of Antiochus I, son of Seleucus. Around 250 BCE, the satrap Diodotus, followed by his son Diodotus II, began to assert independence, eventually replacing the Seleucid reverse image of seated Apollo with their own symbol, Zeus hurling a thunderbolt.

Diodotus IIThe coins are rare, and debate over which Diodotus struck what coin when has entertained and enraged generations of scholars. Some cataloguers simply describe coins as “Diodotus I or II.”There was at least one other mint besides Ai Khanoum, possibly at Bactra, the ancient capital (now a vast, circular ruin near the Afghan town of Balkh), and there may have been a third ruler, confusingly named Antiochus Nikator. They issued a range of gold, silver and bronze denominations. Many

surviving Diodotid gold staters have deeply chiseled “test cuts,” perhaps because plated counterfeits circulated in later years. Undamaged specimens command prices up to $20,000 or more. 

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8581. PHOENICIA, SIDON, BA'ANA, 400-385 BC. AR Double Shekel, 27.96 gm, BMC.7, Betlyon 13. Sidonian war galley before the turretted walls of Sidon, two Persian lions tail to tail below/King of Persia in war chariot, Punic character above, below a ram in incuse with solar disk above reverted head leaping l. VF. Excessively rare. The only other example I've seen for some years, without a test cut, was being offered several years ago at $27,000. This wonderful extra large and heavy silver coin is one of the few that gives us a city view of a major city from ancient times reflecting the height of Phoenician maritime power which enabled the Phoenicians to extend their trading empire across the entire Mediterranean, down the west coast of Africa, up the coast of Europe and perhaps beyond.

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10274. PERSIA, ACHAEMENID KINGS. 375-340 BC, Siglos, 5.42g. Type IV C. Carradice-46ff. Obv: Kneeling running king with bow and dagger, Rx: Irregular incuse. Rare type with no quiver over king's right shoulder as there typically is. Ex Gorney & Mosch 181, 12 October 2009, lot 1574. Ex. Harlan Berk. Exceptionally nice for these, even the buttons on the king's garment are sharp. EF.

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