1840.] Lieut » Cunningham on Bactrian coins. 871 



and resting on the tail of the arrow. In the field behind the figure, 

 there is a small elephant to the right. Legend disposed circularly 

 BA2IAEQE SQTHPOS ZwIAOY ; *' (coin) of the saviour king 

 Zoilus." 



Reverse. A tripod. In the field to the left the Bactrian letter t, and 

 to the right the letter a. Legend disposed circularly ^?•^S^>i "P^"!^ 

 "PMlIu, Maharajasa trddatasa Johilasa ; " (coin) of the great king 

 Zoilus, the saviour." 



The identity of this piece, in type, size, and make, with the round 

 copper coins of ApoUodotus, would seem to point out some close con- 

 nexion between these two princes, which is further strengthened by 

 the appearance of the elephant in the field of this coin, a type of most 

 common occurrence on the silver coins of ApoUodotus, and on the 

 square copper coins of Heliocles, the grandfather of ApoUodotus ; on 

 whose coins the elephant occupies the whole field of the piece, but on 

 the coin of Zoilus is reduced to a mere symbol. The appearance of an 

 elephant on this unique coin of a new prince, taken in conjunction 

 with the identity of its type with another of the coins of ApoUodotus, 

 induces me to hazard a conjecture that Zoilus may have been a son of 

 ApoUodotus, and have succeeded his father for a short time on the 

 throne of Bactria. For it appears to me scarcely possible that ApoUo- 

 dotus, whose coins are not very common, should have reigned from 148 

 B. c, the period assigned for the murder of Eucratidas, till 126. b. c, 

 when the Bactrian empire was overthrown by the Scythians. I sup- 

 pose that ApoUodotus after having assisted Demetrius Nicator of Syria 

 in his successful expedition against the Parthians, in b. c. 142, was fi- 

 nally defeated, and perhaps slain, by the Parthians under Arsaces, 6th 

 Mithridates, about b. c. 140 — at which time Mithridates having made 

 Demetrius prisoner, is said to have extended his arms from the 

 Euphrates to the Hydaspes. Upon the death of Mithridates, in b. c. 

 136. I suppose Menander to have established himself in the provinces 

 south of the Caucasus, and to have added India beyond the Hypanis to 

 his dominions, while Bactria Proper and Sogdiana were overwhelmed 

 by an irruption of the Scythians in 126 b. c. 



No. 3. A round copper piece plated with silver, of the size of 

 a drachma. It is Horace who observes that " a good and wise man is 

 not ignorant (quid distent cera lupinisj of the difference between 



