Agathocleia AE square unit, Athena/Apollo, bilingual, 128-123 BC

Agathocleia, Square Unit, bronze, reign 128–123 BC, struck 128–123 BC, 8.74 g, 23 mm, Paropamisadai or Gandhara mint. Helmeted bust of Athena right; Greek legend BASILISSES ThEOTROPOU AGAThOKLEIES. Reverse with Kharosthi legend MAHARAJASA TRATARASA DHRAMIKASA STRATASA; Apollo seated left, nude, on rocks, resting a club on his knee. Bilingual issue on a square flan, struck during the regency for her son Strato I Soter. References: Bopearachchi 3A; SNG ANS 983–985.

This bilingual bronze records the Indo-Greek regency of Agathocleia for Strato I in the Paropamisadai–Gandhara region. The Greek legend names the queen with the epithet Theotropos, while the Kharosthi legend names Strato as maharajasa tratarasa dharmikasa (“great king, savior, follower of the Dharma”), evidencing the coexistence of Greek and Indian titulature and administrative languages in the kingdom during the late 2nd century BC.