Menander (Greco-Bactrian king)
Menander, also known as Milinda, was a significant Greco-Bactrian king who ruled circa 155 BCE, presiding over a kingdom that included parts of present-day Afghanistan and Pakistan. He is notable for being the only Indo-Greek king mentioned in classical Indian literature, particularly in the Buddhist text "Milinda-pañha," which recounts a philosophical dialogue between him and the sage Nāgasena. His military campaigns extended into India, as documented by historians like Strabo and referenced in Indian sources such as Patañjali's work, though he ultimately did not manage to consolidate his conquests.
Menander's reign marked the peak of Greco-Bactrian influence, yet after his death, which various accounts suggest was either due to natural causes or during a military campaign, his successors faced instability. His coins, featuring bilingual inscriptions in Greek and Kharosthi, often depicted the goddess Pallas and carried titles such as "savior" and "just." Despite the decline of his dynasty in the following century, Menander's legacy continues through his representation in Buddhist literature and the cultural exchanges he fostered between Greek and Indian societies.
Menander (Greco-Bactrian king)
Related civilizations: Greece, India
Major role/position: King
Life
Menander (meh-NAN-dur) was one of the most important of the Greco-Bactrian kings. He is the only Indo-Greek king to be named in classical Indian sources. He is best known as the Milinda of the Milinda-pañha (first century b.c.e., some material added later, date uncertain; The Questions of King Milinda, 1890-1894), a Buddhist work in the form of a dialogue between Milinda and the Buddhist sage Nāgasena. His early career is obscure.
He rose to the kingship circa 155 b.c.e. His kingdom covered much of present-day Afghanistan and Pakistan. According to the historian Strabo, Apollodorus of Artemita reported that Menander advanced beyond the Hypanis (modern Gharra, a tributary of the Indus River) as far as the Imaus (either the Yamuna or Sun River). Indian sources describe a Greek advance into India at this time. Patañjali (fl. c. 140 b.c.e.) in his Mahābhāṣya (second century b.c.e.; English translation, 1856) cites references to the Greek conquest of Sāketa (Ayodhyā) and Madhyamikā. Kālidāsa in his play Mālavikāgnimitra (traditionally c. 70 b.c.e., probably c. 370 c.e.; English translation, 1875) refers to the defeat of Greek forces at the Indus River by Vasumitra during the reign of his grandfather Puṣyamitra (d. 148 b.c.e.). The Yuga Purāna (n.d.; The Yuga Purana, 1986) in the Gārgi Saṁhitā (n.d.; a work on astrology), describes the Greek advance into India, culminating in the capture of Pāṭaliputra (Patna).
Menander, however, was unable to consolidate his conquests and left India without annexing any territory. The Milinda-pañha reports that Menander withdrew from the world and left his kingdom to his son. However, Plutarch in Ethika (after c. 100 c.e.; Moralia, 1603) says that Menander died in camp and that his ashes were equally divided among the cities of his kingdom, where monuments were dedicated to him. Plutarch’s account is reminiscent of descriptions of the dispersal of the Buddha’s remains. At the time of his death, Agathocleia, his wife (probably the daughter of king Agathocles), served as regent for Strato, their son, who was not of age to assume the kingship. The coins of Menander were bilingual (in Greek and Kharoshti). Pallas was most frequently on the reverse. His titles were “soter” (savior) and “dikaios” (just).
Influence
With Menander, the influence of the Greco-Bactrian kings reached its zenith. His successors were unable to stay in power. In the century after Menander’s death, more than twenty rulers are recorded. By the middle of the first century b.c.e., the Yuezhi-Kushān, Saka, and Scytho-Parthian ethnic groups had taken over the region. In addition to his exploits, Menander’s fame is assured in the portrayal of Milinda in the Milinda-pañha.
Bibliography
Menander. Menander. Edited by David R. Slavitt. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1998.
Narain, A. K. Cambridge Ancient History. Vol. 8. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1989.