650 Lassen on the History traced [No. 103. 



Agathokles^ coins points out an empire on the borders of the 

 Cabul river. 



The worship of the Persian Artemis must not appear sur- 

 prising on the coin of a king_, who, though not reigning in Bac- 

 tria^ yet started from that country. The Bacchanal symbols 

 certainly allude to an Indian expedition ; but it is surprising, 

 that Agathokles and Pantaleon, almost coeval with him, should 

 alone parade these symbols of Dionysos. Going a step further, 

 we dare assert, that Agathokles reigned immediately over 

 those districts, where the traces of the expedition of Dionysos 

 were fancied to be extant ; viz. over the country of the Nisaeans. 

 But it is not India Proper, but Cabul, that is celebrated 

 for her grapes ; in Cabul too, are the copper coins of Aga- 

 thokles discovered, and instead of the nation of the Nisaeans (a 

 somewhat fabulous race) of Alexander's period, we observe in 

 the late report of Ptolemy, the well defined town of Nagara, 

 surnamed Dionysopolis, which denomination can have been only 

 given by a Greek king, probably by Agathokles. His use of In- 

 dian, and not Cabulian characters, leads to the conclusion, that 

 his reign succeeded a previous use of Indian characters ; viz. it 

 argues a former Indian domination in these districts. I therefore 

 think he is the same, who first brought Grecian arms down the 

 Cabul river. According to Mr. Mueller,* he reigned about the 

 Upper Ganges. In this case he must before Menandros have 

 advanced beyond the Hyphasis to the Jumna, and even further, 

 which is at variance with Strabo's explicit statement. His coins, 

 exhibiting a much better style in art than those of Menandros, 

 he must have reigned before this king. Strabo would likewise 

 mention him as the first, who crossed the Hyphasis. 



Pantaleon. Square copper coins, exactly like those of Aga- 

 thokles, before described as from Cabul and the Punjab. f 

 Legend, BASIAEQ2 nANTAAE0NT(02) and the other 

 legend in Indian characters, above mentioned. From the 

 small number of coins it becomes probable, that Pantaleon did 

 reign but for a short time ; the dominion, founded by Agatho- 

 kles, must on the whole have been of short duration. We shall 

 hereafter recur to this subject. 



* * p. 213. t As. Trans, in. p. 168. v. p. 552. 



