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&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;New page&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div&gt;{{Short description|2nd century BC Greco-Bactrian and Indo-Greek king}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{for|other rulers with the same name|Demetrius I (disambiguation)}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Infobox royalty&lt;br /&gt;
| name         = Demetrius I&lt;br /&gt;
| title        = [[King of Kings]],&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gE7udqBkACwC&amp;amp;pg=PA97|title=A Comprehensive History Of Ancient India (3 Vol. Set)|date=2003-12-01|publisher=Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd|isbn=978-81-207-2503-4|pages=97|language=en|quote=Demetrius proceeded towards India and annexed the Kabul valley, Sindh and a part of Punjab. He came to be known as the “King of Kings”.}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; [[Basileus]]&lt;br /&gt;
| succession   = [[Greco-Bactrian Kingdom|King of Bactria]]&lt;br /&gt;
| image        = Demetrios I Baktria Tetradrachm 200-185 BC.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| image_size   = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption      = Coin of Demetrius wearing an elephant skin headdress (in spirit of [[Alexander the Great|Alexander]]), on the reverse, [[Heracles]] is shown crowning himself and holding lion skin, legend ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΔΗΜΗΤΡΙΟΥ.&lt;br /&gt;
| reign        = {{circa|200|180 BC}}&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite book|last=Phang|first=Sara|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=npNUDAAAQBAJ|title=Conflict in Ancient Greece and Rome: The Definitive Political, Social, and Military Encyclopedia [3 volumes]: The Definitive Political, Social, and Military Encyclopedia|last2=Iain|first2=Spence|last3=Kelly|first3=Douglas|last4=Londey|first4=Londey|date=2016|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-61069-020-1|pages=239|language=en}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
| coronation   = &lt;br /&gt;
| full name    = &lt;br /&gt;
| predecessor  = [[Euthydemus I]]&lt;br /&gt;
| successor    = [[Euthydemus II]]&lt;br /&gt;
| succession1  = [[Indo-Greek]] king&lt;br /&gt;
| reign1       = c. 200-180 BC&lt;br /&gt;
| predecessor1 = &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Position Established&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&lt;br /&gt;
| successor1   = [[Pantaleon]]&lt;br /&gt;
| spouse       = Daughter of [[Antiochus III]]&lt;br /&gt;
| issue        = * [[Euthydemus II]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Demetrius II of India|Demetrius II]]?&lt;br /&gt;
*Berenice of Bactria&lt;br /&gt;
| royal house  = &lt;br /&gt;
| dynasty      = [[Euthydemid dynasty|Euthydemid]]&lt;br /&gt;
| father       = [[Euthydemus I]]&lt;br /&gt;
| mother       = &lt;br /&gt;
| birth_date   = c. 222 BC&lt;br /&gt;
| birth_place  = [[Bactria]]&lt;br /&gt;
| death_date   = c. 167 BC&lt;br /&gt;
| death_place  = [[India]]&lt;br /&gt;
| date of burial = &lt;br /&gt;
| place of burial = &lt;br /&gt;
| religion     = [[Greco-Buddhism]]&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;Demetrius I Anicetus&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039; ({{lang-grc|Δημήτριος Ἀνίκητος|Dēmētrios Anikētos}}, &amp;quot;the unconquered&amp;quot;), also called &amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;Damaytra&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039; was a [[Greco-Bactrian]] and later [[Indo-Greek]] king ([[Yona]] in [[Pali]] language, &amp;quot;Yavana&amp;quot; in [[Sanskrit]]) (reigned c. 200–167 BC), who ruled areas from [[Bactria]] to ancient northwestern India. He was the son of the [[Greco-Bactrian Kingdom]]&amp;#039;s ruler [[Euthydemus I]] and succeeded him around 200 BC, after which he conquered extensive areas in what is now southern [[Afghanistan]], [[Iran]] and [[Pakistan]] and [[India]].&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Demetrius is said to have founded [[Taxila]] (archaeological excavations), and also [[Sagala]] in the Punjab, which he seemed to have called Euthydemia, after his father (&amp;quot;the city of Sagala, also called Euthydemia&amp;quot; (Ptolemy, Geographia, VII 1))&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He was never defeated in battle and was posthumously referred to as &amp;quot;the Unconquered&amp;quot; (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;Aniketos&amp;#039;&amp;#039;) on the pedigree coins of his successor [[Agathocles of Bactria|Agathocles]].&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;No undisputed coins of Demetrius I himself use this title, but it is employed on one of the pedigree coins issued by [[Agathocles of Bactria|Agathocles]], which bear on the reverse the classical profile of Demetrius crowned by the elephant scalp, with the legend DEMETRIOU ANIKETOU, and on the reverse Herakles crowning himself, with the legend &amp;quot;Of king Agathocles&amp;quot; (Boppearachchi, Pl 8). Coins of the supposed [[Demetrius III Aniketos|Demetrius III]] also use the title &amp;quot;Invincible&amp;quot;, and therefore are attributed by some to the same Demetrius (Whitehead and al.)&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Demetrius I may have been the initiator of the [[Yavana era]], starting in 186–185 BC, which was used for several centuries thereafter.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Demetrius&amp;quot; was the name of at least two and probably three Bactrian kings. The much debated [[Demetrius II of India|Demetrius II]] was a possible relative, whereas [[Demetrius III Aniketos|Demetrius III]] ({{circa|100 BC}}), is known only from [[Numismatics|numismatic]] evidence.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Encounter with Antiochus III==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:AgathoklesCoinOfDemetriusAniketos.JPG|thumb|right|Demetrius, with legend ΔΗΜΗΤΡΙΟΥ ΑΝΙΚΗΤΟΥ &amp;quot;Demetrius Unconquered&amp;quot; (Pedigree coin of [[Agathocles of Bactria|Agathocles]]). [[British Museum]].]]&lt;br /&gt;
The father of Demetrius, [[Euthydemus I|Euthydemus]], was attacked by the Seleucid ruler [[Antiochus III]] around 210&amp;amp;nbsp;BC. Although he commanded 10,000 horsemen, Euthydemus initially lost a [[Battle of the Arius|battle on the Arius]]&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Plb.+10.49 Polybius 10.49, Battle of the Arius]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; and had to retreat. He then successfully resisted a three-year siege in the fortified city of [[Balkh|Bactra]], before Antiochus finally decided to recognize the new ruler.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The final negotiations were made between Antiochus III and Demetrius. Antiochus III was reportedly highly impressed by the demeanour of the young prince, and offered him one of his daughters in marriage, around 206 BC:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:&amp;quot;And after several journeys of Teleas to and fro between the two, Euthydemus at last sent his son Demetrius to confirm the terms of the treaty. Antiochus received the young prince; and judging from his appearance, conversation, and the dignity of his manners that he was worthy of royal power, he first promised to give him one of his own daughters, and secondly conceded the royal title to his father.&amp;quot; Polybius 11.34&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Plb.+11.34 Polybius 11.34 Siege of Bactra]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The term used for &amp;quot;young prince&amp;quot; is &amp;#039;&amp;#039;neaniskos&amp;#039;&amp;#039; (νεανίσκος), suggesting an age around 16, which in turn gives a birth date for Demetrius around 222 BC.{{citation needed|date=October 2015}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Kuliab inscription===&lt;br /&gt;
In an inscription found in the [[Kulab, Tajikistan|Kuliab]] area of [[Tadjikistan]], in western Greco-Bactria, and dated to 200-195 BC,&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;SW&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Shane Wallace [https://www.academia.edu/25638818 Greek Culture in Afghanistan and India: Old Evidence and New Discoveries] p.206&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; a Greek by the name of Heliodotos, dedicating a fire altar to [[Hestia]], mentions Euthydemus and Demetrius:&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[[Osmund Bopearachchi]], [https://www.academia.edu/22821570 Some Observations on the Chronology of the Early Kushans], p.48&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;SW&amp;quot;/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Heliodotos inscription, Kuliab.jpg|right|frameless|upright=1.75]]&lt;br /&gt;
{{Verse translation|source=|&lt;br /&gt;
τόνδε σοι βωμὸν θυώδη, πρέσβα κυδίστη θεῶν&lt;br /&gt;
Ἑστία, Διὸς κ(α)τ᾽ ἄλσος καλλίδενδρον ἔκτισεν&lt;br /&gt;
καὶ κλυταῖς ἤσκησε λοιβαῖς ἐμπύροις Ἡλιόδοτος&lt;br /&gt;
ὄφρα τὸμ πάντων μέγιστον Εὐθύδημον βασιλέων&lt;br /&gt;
τοῦ τε παῖδα καλλίνικον ἐκπρεπῆ Δημήτριον&lt;br /&gt;
πρευμενὴς σώιζηις ἐκηδεῖ(ς) σὺν τύχαι θεόφρον[ι]&lt;br /&gt;
|&amp;quot;Heliodotos dedicated this fragrant altar for [[Hestia]], &lt;br /&gt;
venerable goddess, illustrious amongst all, in the grove of [[Zeus]], with beautiful trees; &lt;br /&gt;
he made libations and sacrifices, &lt;br /&gt;
so that the greatest of all kings Euthydemos, &lt;br /&gt;
as well as his son, the glorious, victorious and remarkable Demetrios, &lt;br /&gt;
be preserved from all pains, with the help of [[Tyche]] with divine thoughts.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Shane Wallace [https://www.academia.edu/25638818 Greek Culture in Afghanistan and India: Old Evidence and New Discoveries] p.211&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.attalus.org/docs/seg/s54_1569.html Supplementum Epigraphicum Graecum: 54.1569]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;|Kuliab inscription, 200–195 BCE}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Invasion of India==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Demetrios I Baktria Tetradrachm 200-185 BC.jpg|thumb|300px|Silver tetradrachm of Demetrius I (33mm, 17.00 g, 12h). Diademed and draped bust right, wearing elephant-skin headdress (evoking Alexander the Great and his conquests in India) / Heracles standing facing, crowning himself, holding club and lion skin; monogram to inner left. Greek legend: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΔΗΜΗΤΡΙΟΥ &amp;quot;Of King Demetrius&amp;quot; Bopearachchi 1F; cf. SNG ANS 190.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Demetrius started the invasion of northwestern India in 186 BC, following the destruction of the [[Maurya Empire|Mauryan]] dynasty by the general [[Pushyamitra Shunga]], who then founded the new Indian [[Shunga dynasty]] (180–78 BC). Sri Lankan monks state that Brihadratha, the last Mauryan Emperor, married a daughter of Demetrius, Berenice. The Greeks might have invaded the Indus Valley to protect Greek expatriates in the Indian Subcontinent. Also, the Mauryans had had diplomatic alliances with the Greeks, and they may have been considered as allies by the Greco-Bactrians.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* Description of the 302 BCE marital alliance in [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0239 Strabo 15.2.1(9)]:  &amp;quot;The Indians occupy [in part] some of the countries situated along the Indus, which formerly belonged to the Persians: Alexander deprived the Ariani of them, and established there settlements of his own. But [[Seleucus I Nicator]] gave them to [[Sandrocottus]] in consequence of a marriage contract, and received in return five hundred elephants.&amp;quot; The ambassador [[Megasthenes]] was also sent to the Mauryan court on this occasion.&lt;br /&gt;
* In the [[Edicts of Ashoka]], king [[Ashoka]] claims to have sent Buddhist emissaries to the Hellenistic west around 250 BCE.&lt;br /&gt;
* When Antiochus III the Great, after having made peace with Euthydemus, went to India in 209 BCE, he is said to have renewed his friendship with the Indian king there and received presents from him: &amp;quot;He crossed the Caucasus ([[Hindu Kush]]) and descended into India; renewed his friendship with [[Sophagasenus]] the king of the Indians; received more elephants, until he had a hundred and fifty altogether; and having once more provisioned his troops, set out again personally with his army: leaving Androsthenes of Cyzicus the duty of taking home the treasure which this king had agreed to hand over to him.&amp;quot;[http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Plb.+11.39 Polybius 11.39] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151008023525/http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0239 |date=October 8, 2015 }}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; &amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;&amp;quot;Obviously, for the Greeks who survived in India and suffered from the oppression of the Shunga (for whom they were aliens and heretics), Demetrios must have appeared as a saviour&amp;quot; Mario Bussagli, p. 101&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Demetrius may have first started to recover the province of [[Arachosia]], an area south of the Hindu Kush already inhabited by many Greeks but ruled by the Mauryas since the annexation of the territory by [[Chandragupta Maurya|Chandragupta]] from [[Seleucus I Nicator|Seleucus]]. In his &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Parthian stations&amp;#039;&amp;#039;, [[Isidorus of Charax]] mentions a colony named Demetrias, supposedly founded by Demetrius himself:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:&amp;quot;Beyond is Arachosia. And the Parthians call this White India; there are the city of Biyt and the city of Pharsana and the city of Chorochoad and the city of Demetrias; then Alexandropolis, the metropolis of Arachosia; it is Greek, and by it flows the river Arachotus. As far as this place the land is under the rule of the Parthians.&amp;quot; &amp;quot;Parthians stations&amp;quot;, 1st century BC&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Mentioned in Bopearachchi, &amp;quot;Monnaies Greco-Bactriennes et Indo-Grecques&amp;quot;, p52. Original text in paragraph 19 of [http://www.parthia.com/parthian_stations.htm#PARTHIAN_STATIONS Parthian stations]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A Greek dedication inscribed on stone and discovered in [[Kuliab]], a hundred kilometers northeast of [[Ai-Khanoum]], also mentioned the victories of the prince Demetrius during the reign of his father:&lt;br /&gt;
:&amp;quot;Heliodotus dedicated this fragrant altar (...) so that the greatest of all kings Euthydemus, as well as his son, the glorious, victorious and remarkable Demetrius, be preserved of all pains, with the help of the [[Fortuna (mythology)|Fortune]] with divine thoughts&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Heliodotos inscription, in &amp;quot;Afghanistan, ancien carrefour entre l&amp;#039;Est et Ouest&amp;quot;, p133. {{ISBN|2-503-51681-5}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Greek campaigns may have gone as far as the capital [[Pataliputra]] in eastern India (today [[Patna, India|Patna]]):&lt;br /&gt;
:&amp;quot;Those who came after [[Alexander the Great|Alexander]] went to the [[Ganges]] and Pataliputra&amp;quot; ([[Strabo]], XV.698)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:&amp;quot;The Greeks who caused Bactria to revolt grew so powerful on account of the fertility of the country that they became masters, not only of Ariana, but also of India, as [[Apollodorus of Artemita]] says: and more tribes were subdued by them than by Alexander — by [[Menander I|Menander]] in particular (at least if he actually crossed the [[Beas River|Hypanis]] towards the east and advanced as far as the [[Imaus|Imaüs]]), for some were subdued by him personally and others by Demetrius, the son of Euthydemus the king of the Bactrians.&amp;quot; (Strabo 11.11.1&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Strab.+11.11.1 Strabo 11.11.1 full text]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It is generally considered that Demetrius ruled in [[Taxila]] (where many of his coins were found in the archaeological site of [[Sirkap]]).&lt;br /&gt;
The Indian records also describes Greek attacks on [[Saketa]], [[Panchala]], [[Mathura, Uttar Pradesh|Mathura]] and [[Pataliputra]] (Gargi-Samhita, [[Yuga Purana]] chapter). However, the campaigns to Pataliputra are generally attested to the later king [[Menander I]] and Demetrius I probably only invaded areas in [[Pakistan]]. Other kings may have expanded the territory as well. By c. 175 BC, the Indo-Greeks ruled parts of northwestern India, while the Shungas remained in the Gangetic, Central, and Eastern India.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The [[Hathigumpha inscription]] of the [[Kalinga (historical region)|Kalinga]] king [[Kharavela]] mentions that fearing him, a Yavana (Greek) king or general retreated to [[Mathura]] with his demoralized army. The name of the Yavana king is not clear, but it contains three letters, and the middle letter can be read as &amp;#039;&amp;#039;ma&amp;#039;&amp;#039; or &amp;#039;&amp;#039;mi&amp;#039;&amp;#039;.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;PLGupta_1994&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Kusâna Coins and History, D.K. Printworld, 1994, p.184, note 5; reprint of a 1985 article&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Some historians, such as [[R. D. Banerji]] and [[K.P. Jayaswal]] reconstructed the name of the Yavana king as &amp;quot;Dimita&amp;quot;, and identified him with Demetrius. However, several other historians, such as [[Ramaprasad Chanda]], Sailendra Nath Sen and P.L. Gupta disagree with this interpretation.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;PLGupta_1994&amp;quot;/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Sudhakar_1974&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite book |author=Sudhakar Chattopadhyaya |title=Some Early Dynasties of South India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=78I5lDHU2jQC&amp;amp;pg=PA20 |year=1974 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=978-81-208-2941-1 |pages=44–50 }}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Sailendra_1999&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite book |author=Sailendra Nath Sen |title=Ancient Indian History and Civilization |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wk4_ICH_g1EC&amp;amp;pg=PA176 |year=1999 |publisher=New Age International |isbn=978-81-224-1198-0 |pages=176–177 }}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Aftermath==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:DemetriusObol.JPG|thumb|left|Silver [[obolus|obol]] of Demetrius. Extremely small (12 [[millimeter]]s in diameter), but beautifully crafted.]]&lt;br /&gt;
Demetrius I died of unknown reasons, and the date 180 BC is merely a suggestion aimed to allow suitable regnal periods for subsequent kings, of which there were several. Even if some of them were co-regents, civil wars and temporary divisions of the empire are most likely.{{cn|date=November 2022}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The kings [[Pantaleon]], [[Antimachus I|Antimachus]], [[Agathocles of Bactria|Agathocles]] and possibly [[Euthydemus II]] ruled after Demetrius I, and theories about their origin include all of them being relatives of Demetrius I, or only Antimachus. Eventually, the kingdom of Bactria fell to the able newcomer [[Eucratides I|Eucratides]].{{cn|date=November 2022}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Demetrius II was a later king, possibly a son or nephew of his namesake, and he ruled in India only. [[Justin (historian)|Justin]] mentions him being defeated by the Bactrian king [[Eucratides I|Eucratides]], an event which took place at the end of the latter&amp;#039;s reign, possibly around 150 BC.&lt;br /&gt;
Demetrius II left behind his generals [[Apollodotus I|Apollodotus]] and [[Menander I|Menander]], who in turn became kings of India and rulers of the [[Indo-Greek Kingdom]] following his death.{{cn|date=November 2022}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
According to [[Ptolemy]], a [[Demetriapolis]] was founded in [[Arachosia]].{{cn|date=November 2022}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Geoffrey Chaucer]] names Demetrius among the combatants at a tournament held in Athens by [[Theseus]]:&lt;br /&gt;
{{Poem quote&lt;br /&gt;
|text=|The grete Emetreus&amp;lt;!--sic!--&amp;gt;, the kyng of Inde,&lt;br /&gt;
Upon a steede bay trapped in steel,&lt;br /&gt;
Covered in clooth of gold, dyapred weel,&lt;br /&gt;
Cam ridynge lyk the God of armes, Mars.|sign=Geoffrey Chaucer&lt;br /&gt;
|title=&amp;#039;&amp;#039;[[The Knight&amp;#039;s Tale]]&amp;#039;&amp;#039;, ll. 2156-2159}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Coinage==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Demetrios I trident detail of Gorgon-trident coin.jpg|thumb|left|Demetrios I trident detail of Gorgon-trident coin.]]&lt;br /&gt;
The coins of Demetrius are of five types. One bilingual type with [[Greek language|Greek]] and [[Kharoshthi]] legends exists; it is naturally associated with the Indian [[Demetrius II of India|Demetrius II]]. A series with the king in diadem are likely to be early issues of Demetrius I.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There is also one series representing a [[Gorgon]] shield on the obverse and a trident on the reverse.&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Demetrios I elephant and Nike.jpg|thumb|Coin of Demetrius I with elephant and [[Nike (mythology)|Nike]].]]&lt;br /&gt;
There are also three types depicting elephants. The first type shows Demetrius (I) with elephant-crown, a well-known symbol of India, which simply denotes his conquests in India, as [[Alexander the Great]] had also done on his coinage before. One type represents an elephant with [[Nike (mythology)|Nike]] on the other side holding a wreath of victory. This sort of symbolism can be seen on the reverse of the coins of [[Antialcidas]] in which Nike (supported by [[Zeus]]) directly hands the victory wreath to the elephant on the same coin face.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Indian coinage in Gandhara (after 185 BC)===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Taxila single dye coin.jpg |thumb|[[Taxila]] single-die coin with [[Lakshmi]] and [[arched-hill symbol]] (185–160 BC).]]&lt;br /&gt;
{{main|Post-Mauryan coinage of Gandhara}}&lt;br /&gt;
The year 186 BC, with the invasion of the Greco-Bactrians into India, marks an evolution in the design of single-die cast coins in the coinage of Gandhara, as deities and realistic animals were introduced. At the same time coinage technology also evolved, as double-die coins (engraved on both sides, obverse and reverse) started to appear. The archaeological excavations of coins have shown that these coins, as well as the new double die coins, were contemporary with those of the [[Indo-Greeks]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Jain&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Ancient Indian Coinage, Rekha Jain, D.K.Printworld Ltd, p.114&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; According to [[Osmund Bopearachchi]] these coins, and particularly those depicting the goddess [[Lakshmi]], were probably minted by Demetrius I following his invasion of Gandhara.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Bopearachchi&amp;quot;&amp;gt;[[Osmund Bopearachchi]], 2016, [https://www.academia.edu/25807197/Emergence_of_Vi%E1%B9%A3%E1%B9%87u_and_%C5%9Aiva_Images_in_India_Numismatic_and_Sculptural_Evidence Emergence of Viṣṇu and Śiva Images in India: Numismatic and Sculptural Evidence]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
==Buddhism==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:BuddhaHead.JPG|thumb|200px|[[Greco-Buddhist]] representation of [[Gautama Buddha]], [[Gandhara]], 1st-2nd century AD.]]&lt;br /&gt;
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Buddhism flourished under the Indo-Greek kings, and it has been suggested by [[William Woodthorpe Tarn|W. W. Tarn]] that their invasion of India was intended to show their support for the [[Mauryan empire]] in reaction to the persecution by the [[Sunga]]s against Buddhism.{{cn|date=November 2022}} However, that persecution in turn is debatable, with contemporary historians such as [[Romila Thapar]] suggesting that some of the accounts might be the product of exaggeration from Buddhist missionaries. Thapar attributes purely economic motivations to  the Indo-Greek invasion of Southern Asia.&amp;lt;ref name=Thapar&amp;gt;{{cite book |title=Aśoka and the Decline of the Mauryas |first=Romila |last=Thapar |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1960 |page=200 }}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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===Elephant with the caduceus coinage===&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Demetrios I with elephant and caduceus.jpg|thumb|Coin of Demetrius I with elephant raising trunk and [[caduceus]].]]&lt;br /&gt;
One of Demetrius&amp;#039; &amp;quot;elephant&amp;quot; types represents a rejoicing elephant,{{cn|date=November 2022}} depicted on the front on the coin and surrounded by the royal bead-and-reel decoration, and therefore treated on the same level as a King. The elephant, one of the symbols of Buddhism and [[Gautama Buddha]], possibly represents the victory of [[Buddhism]] brought about by Demetrius.{{cn|date=November 2022}} Alternatively, though, the elephant has been described as a possible symbol of the Indian capital of [[Taxila]] (Tarn), or as a symbol of India as a whole.{{cn|date=November 2022}}&lt;br /&gt;
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The reverse of the coin depicts the [[caduceus]], symbol of reconciliation between two fighting serpents,{{cn|date=November 2022}} which is possibly a representation of peace between the Greeks and the [[Shunga Empire|Shunga]]s,{{cn|date=November 2022}} and likewise between Buddhism and [[Hinduism]] (the [[caduceus]] also appears as a symbol of the [[punch-marked coins]] of the [[Maurya Empire]] in India, in the 3rd-2nd century BC).{{cn|date=November 2022}}&lt;br /&gt;
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Unambiguous Buddhist symbols are found on later Greek coins of [[Menander I]] or [[Menander II]], but the conquests of Demetrius I did influence the Buddhist religion in India.&lt;br /&gt;
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==Chronology==&lt;br /&gt;
{{Indo-Greek kings}}&lt;br /&gt;
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==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Greco-Bactrian Kingdom]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Seleucid Empire]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Greco-Buddhism]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Indo-Scythians]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Indo-Parthian Kingdom]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Kushan Empire]]&lt;br /&gt;
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==References==&lt;br /&gt;
===Citations===&lt;br /&gt;
{{reflist}}&lt;br /&gt;
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===Bibliography===&lt;br /&gt;
{{Refbegin}}&lt;br /&gt;
* {{cite book |title=The Shape of Ancient Thought. Comparative Studies in Greek and Indian Philosophies |first=Thomas |last=McEvilley |publisher=Allworth Press and the School of Visual Arts |year=2002 |isbn=1-58115-203-5 }}&lt;br /&gt;
* {{cite book |title=Buddhism in Central Asia |first=B. N. |last=Puri |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Pub |year=2000 |isbn=81-208-0372-8 }}&lt;br /&gt;
* {{cite book |title=The Greeks in Bactria and India |first=W. W. |last=Tarn |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=1951 }}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Refend}}&lt;br /&gt;
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==External links==&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.coinarchives.com/a/results.php?results=100&amp;amp;search=Baktria+and+Demetrios&amp;amp;Thumb=1 Coins of Demetrius]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/greece/baktria/kings/demetrios/t.html More coins of Demetrius]&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://coinindia.com/galleries-demetrios1.html Catalogue of coins of Demetrius]&lt;br /&gt;
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{{s-start}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{s-bef|rows=3|before=[[Euthydemus I]]}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{s-ttl|rows=3|title=[[Greco-Bactrian Kingdom|Greco-Bactrian Ruler]]&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;and [[Indo-Greek Kingdom|Indo-Greek king]]|years=205 – 171 BCE}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{s-aft|after=[[Euthydemus II]]&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;(in [[Bactria]])}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{s-aft|after=[[Agathocles of Bactria|Agathocles]]&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;(in [[Paropamisadae]])}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{s-aft|after=[[Pantaleon]]&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;(in [[Arachosia]], [[Gandhara]])}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{s-end}}&lt;br /&gt;
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{{Hellenistic rulers}}&lt;br /&gt;
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Demetrius 01 Of Bactria}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:180 BC deaths]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Greco-Bactrian kings]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Indo-Greek kings]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Greek Buddhist monarchs]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:2nd-century BC monarchs in Asia]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:3rd-century BC monarchs in Asia]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Euthydemid dynasty]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Ajay Kumar</name></author>
	</entry>
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