Nicias (Indo-Greek king)

Nicias
Portrait of Nicias as a young king
Indo-Greek king
Reign	90–85 BC

Coin of king Nicias (c. 90–85 BC) Obv: Bust of Nicias with Greek legend ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΣΩΤΗΡΟΣ ΝΙΚΙΟΥ "Of Saviour King Nicias". Rev: King in armour, holding a palm of victory in his left hand, and making a gesture of benediction with his right hand, similar to the Buddhist vitarka mudra. Kharoshti legend MAHARAJA TRATARASA NIKIASA "Saviour King Nicias".

Nicias (Greek: Νικίας, Nikías; r. 90 – 85 BC) was an Indo-Greek king who ruled in the Paropamisade. Most of his relatively few coins have been found in northern Pakistan, indicating that he ruled a smaller principate around the lower Kabul valley. He was possibly a relative of Menander I.

Time of reign

Bopearachchi suggests that Nicias ruled c. 90–85 BC. This late date is supported by the absence of Attic coins (see below).

R. C. Senior on the other hand places him as a successor of Menander, c. 135–125 BC, according to his interpretation of hoard findings.

Regardless of which period is correct, the fact that Nicias ages visibly on his coins seems to indicate some longevity to his rule.

The coinage of Nicias

Coin of Nicias, with king wearing a Boeotian helmet and making a benediction gesture (obverse).

Nicias struck Indian silver drachms of diademed or helmeted king with three reverses:

• A standing king in armour making a blessing gesture, found on several drachms.
• An en face version of Menander's Athena with thunderbolt is found on a unique tetradrachm.
• The third reverse is the type king on a prancing horse, as used by Antimachus II found on a single drachm.

His bronzes feature Zeus/dolphin or portrait / king on prancing horse. Some varieties are crude with lunate sigmas and square omicrons. Even though Nikias ruled in the western parts of the Indo-Greek realm, no Attic coins have been found.

Nicias in Hellenistic uniform making a blessing gesture.

His monograms generally match those of the kings Theophilus and Philoxenus, though one is shared with Thraso, the short-lived son of Menander I.

See also

• Greco-Bactrian Kingdom
• Seleucid Empire
• Greco-Buddhism
• Indo-Scythians
• Indo-Parthian Kingdom
• Kushan Empire

References

Sources

• The Shape of Ancient Thought. Comparative studies in Greek and Indian Philosophies by Thomas McEvilley (Allworth Press and the School of Visual Arts, 2002) ISBN 1-58115-203-5
• The Greeks in Bactria and India, W.W. Tarn, Cambridge University Press.

External links

• Indo-Greek history and coins
• Ancient coinage of the Greco-Bactrian and Indo-Greek kingdoms
• Le Roi indo-grec Nicias Le Sauveur

Preceded by Theophilos

Indo-Greek ruler in Paropamisadae 90–85 BC

Succeeded by Hermaeus