# Strato I

Strato I Dikaios (Greek: Στράτων Δίκαιος Strátо̄n Díkaios, “Strato the Just”) also known as Stratha in Sanskrit, was a Yavana King (reigned 125/120-110 BCE), the son and successor of Menander, Strato’s mother, Agathoclea ruled as Queen Mother and regnant for Strato until 120 BCE, when he was of age to succeed his father. He was dynastically succeeded by his son, Menander II.

## Date and genealogy

Until recently, consensus was that he ruled between c. 130–110 BCE in Northern India and that his father was the great king Menander I. Menander ruled the entire Indo-Greek empire, but in this scenario, the western parts including Paropamisade and Arachosia gained independence after the death of Menander I, pushing Strato and Agathokleia eastwards to Gandhara and Punjab. This view was introduced by Tarn and defended as recently as 1998 by Bopearachchi.
The modern view, embraced by R. C. Senior and probably more solid since it is founded on numismatical analyses, suggests that Strato I was a later king, perhaps ruling from 110–85 BCE, though perhaps still a descendant of Agathokleia. In this case, Agathokleia was the widow of another king, possibly Nicias or Theophilus.
A third hypothesis was presented in 2007 by J. Jakobsson: according to this, the coins of Strato in fact belong to two kings who both may have ruled around 105–80 BCE, though in different territories:
* Strato Soter and Dikaios (Greek: ΣΤΡΑΤΩΝ Ο ΣΩΤΗΡ ΚΑΙ ΔΙΚΑΙΟΣ "Strato the saviour and just/righteous"), was Agathokleia's son.
* Strato Epiphanes Soter (Greek: ΣΤΡΑΤΩΝ Ο ΕΠΙΦΑΝΗΣ ΣΩΤΗΡ "Strato the illustrious, saviour"), was a middle-aged king who may have been Agathokleia's brother and ruled in western Punjab.
This theory was based on difference in titles, in monograms and coin types between the two.

## Events during his reign

Agathocleia's importance was gradually downplayed on the coins, so presumably her guardianship ended when Strato came of age. Strato I was also the only Indo-Greek king to appear bearded, probably to indicate that he was no longer an infant. Strato I, or the two Stratos, fought for hegemony in Punjab with the king Heliokles II, who overstruck several of their coins. There were very likely wars with other kings as well. The middle-aged Strato, according to the third theory, was succeeded by his son Polyxenios, who ruled only for a short time.
A hoard of Strato's coins was found in Mathura outside New Delhi, which may have been the easternmost outpost of the Indo-Greek territory.

## Coins

The coins of Strato show portraits aging from a youth to middle-aged. They have been divided into the following periods, where period 8 may belong to the second king. ^
* Period 1 (Only Agathokleia):
Bronzes: Athena / seated Heracles. Obverse - Greek: ΒΑΣΙΛΙΣΣΗΣ ΘΕΟΤΡΟΠΟΥ ΑΓΑΘΟΚΛΕΙΑΣ "of queen Godlike Agathokleia" Reverse - Pali: Maharajasa tratarasa dhramikasa Agathukriae "Queen Agathokleia, saviour and follower of the dharma"
* Period 2:
Silver: Agathokleia's portrait / walking king forming benediction gesture. Obverse - Greek: ΒΑΣΙΛΙΣΣΗΣ ΑΓΑΘΟΚΛΕΙΑΣ "of queen Agathokleia" Reverse - Pali: Maharajasa tratarasa dhramikasa Stratasa "The Great king Strato, saviour and followers of the Dharma"
* Period 3:
Silver: Bust of adolescent Strato / Athena holding Nike. Obverse - Greek: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΣΩΤΗΡΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΔΙΚΑΙΟΥ ΣΤΡΑΤΩΝΟΣ "of king saviour and just/righteous Strato" Reverse - Pali: Maharajasa tratarasa Dhramikasa Stratasa "Great saviour king Strato, follower of the Dharma"
* Period 4:
Silver: Adolescent Strato jointly with Agathokleia / Athena Alkidemos left. Obverse - Greek: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΣΩΤΗΡΟΣ ΣΤΡΑΤΩΝΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΑΓΑΘΟΚΛΕΙΑΣ "of king saviour Strato, and Agathokleia" Reverse - Pali: Maharajasa tratarasa Stratasa/Agathukriae "Great saviour king Strato, and Agathokleia"
* Period 5-7:
Silver: Strato alone, diademed, helmeted or spear-throwing, sometimes bearded / Athena Alkidemos (left, right or forward). Bronzes: Heracles / Nike Obverse - (5-6) Greek: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΣΩΤΗΡΟΣ ΣΤΡΑΤΩΝΟΣ "of king saviour Strato" (7) Greek: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΣΩΤΗΡΟΣ ΔΙΚΑΙΟΥ ΣΤΡΑΤΩΝΟΣ "of king saviour and Just/Righteous Strato" Reverse - (5) Pali: Maharajasa tratarasa Stratasa "Great saviour king Strato"
(6) Pali: Maharajasa tratarasa dhramikasa Stratasa "Great saviour king Strato, follower of the dharma" (7) Pali: Maharajasa tratarasa dhramikasa Stratasa "Great saviour king Strato, follower of the dharma"
* Period 8:
Silver: Middle-aged Strato diademed or helmeted / Athena Alkidemos left. Bronzes: Apollo / Sacrificial tripod Obverse - Greek: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΕΠΙΦΑΝΟΥΣ ΣΩΤΗΡΟΣ ΣΤΡΑΤΩΝΟΣ "of king illustrious saviour Strato" Reverse - Pali: Maharajasa pracachasa tratarasa Stratasa "Great saviour king Strato, the illustrious"
vteGreco-Bactrian and Indo-Greek kings, territories and chronology :
Based on Bopearachchi (1991) :
Greco-Bactrian kings
Indo-Greek kings
Territories/ datesWest BactriaEast BactriaParopamisade ArachosiaGandharaWestern PunjabEastern PunjabMathura
326-325 BCE
Campaigns of Alexander the Great in India
Nanda Empire
312 BCE
Creation of the Seleucid Empire
Creation of the Maurya Empire
305 BCE
Seleucid Empire after Mauryan war
Maurya Empire
280 BCE
Foundation of Ai-Khanoum
255–239 BCE
Independence of the Greco-Bactrian kingdom Diodotus I
Emperor Ashoka (268-232 BCE)
239–223 BCE
Diodotus II
230–200 BCE
Euthydemus I
200–190 BCE
Demetrius I
Sunga Empire
190-185 BCE
Euthydemus II
190–180 BCE
Agathocles
Pantaleon
185–170 BCE
Antimachus I
180–160 BCE
Apollodotus I
175–170 BCE
Demetrius II
160–155 BCE
Antimachus II
170–145 BCE
Eucratides I
155–130 BCE
Yuezhi occupation, loss of Ai-Khanoum
Eucratides II Plato Heliocles I
Menander I
130–120 BCE
Yuezhi occupation
Zoilus I
Agathoclea
Yavanarajya inscription
120–110 BCE
Lysias
Strato I
110–100 BCE
Antialcidas
Heliocles II
100 BCE
Polyxenus
Demetrius III
100–95 BCE
Philoxenus
95–90 BCE
Diomedes
Amyntas
Epander
90 BCE
Theophilus
Peucolaus
Thraso
90–85 BCE
Nicias
Menander II
Artemidorus
90–70 BCE
Hermaeus
Archebius
Yuezhi occupation
Maues (Indo-Scythian)
75–70 BCE
Vonones
Telephus
Apollodotus II
65–55 BCE
Spalirises
Hippostratus
Dionysius
55–35 BCE
Azes I (Indo-Scythians)
Zoilus II
55–35 BCE
Vijayamitra/ Azilises
Apollophanes
25 BCE – 10 CE
Gondophares
Zeionises
Kharahostes
Strato II Strato III
Gondophares (Indo-Parthian)
Rajuvula (Indo-Scythian)
Kujula Kadphises (Kushan Empire)
Bhadayasa (Indo-Scythian)
Sodasa (Indo-Scythian)
↑ O. Bopearachchi, "Monnaies gréco-bactriennes et indo-grecques, Catalogue raisonné", Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, 1991, p.453
↑ Quintanilla, Sonya Rhie (2 April 2019). "History of Early Stone Sculpture at Mathura: Ca. 150 BCE - 100 CE". BRILL – via Google Books. :