Editing Diodotus I (section)

==Coinage==
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| footer =Gold Stater of Diodotus I from 'Series A', issue 7. Obverse: [[Diadem]]ed head of Diodotos I, facing right. Reverse: [[Zeus]] advancing left, holding thunderbolt in right hand, [[aegis]] draped over extended left arm, Ν control-mark at left, eagle at his feet standing left, {{langx|grc|ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ}} ('Of King Antiochus')}}
Before Diodotus came to power, there was already a mint in Bactria based at Ai-Khanoum<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kritt |first1=Brian |title=Seleucid Coins of Bactria |date=1996 |publisher=CNG |location=Lancaster}}</ref> or at Bactra,{{sfn|Bopearachchi|2005}} which minted royal coinage in the name of the Seleucid sovereign, with the reigning Seleucid king's portrait on the obverse and an image of [[Apollo]], the Seleucid patron deity, sitting on an [[omphalus]]. As satrap, Diodotus continued to issue these coins, in the name of Antiochus II. This included gold [[stater]]s, silver [[tetradrachm]]s, [[drachm]]s, and [[hemidrachm]]s, and some bronze coins. None of them seem to have been issued in great quantity.<ref name=H87101>{{harvnb|Holt|1999|pp=87–101}}</ref>

On Frank Holt's interpretation, Diodotus introduced a new coinage while still satrap, which consisted of a large number of silver tetradrachms and, later, a small number of gold staters. These coins have the head of a male figure on the obverse, presumably Diodotus himself, shown wearing the [[diadem]]—a band of cloth wrapped around the head, with two strips hanging down the back, which had been the standard symbol of Hellenistic kingship since the time of Alexander the Great. The image seems to gradually age over time, suggesting that it was intended as a realistic portrait of Diodotus. The reverse of these coins abandoned the Seleucid god Apollo in favour of a depiction of [[Zeus]] preparing to throw his thunderbolt. The choice of Zeus may have been intended as a reference to Diodotus himself whose name meant 'Gift of Zeus' in Greek. Alternatively, it may look back to early coinage struck by Seleucus I, from which the reverse image is taken. The legend on the reverse of these coins still reads {{langx|grc|ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ}} ('Of King Antiochus'). The coinage thus clearly proclaimed Diodotus' authority, but retained some ambiguity about the extent of his independence from the Seleucids.<ref name=H87101/> An alternative interpretation advanced by Jens Jakobsson is that this is the coinage of a separate king [[Antiochus Nicator]], whom he interprets as a younger son of grandson of Diodotus, and whose rule he would place around the 220s BC.{{sfn|Jakobsson|2021}} 

Towards the end of this series, a small wreath appears on the reverse to the left of Zeus. The wreath was a Greek symbol of victory. Frank Holt suggests that it commemorated a victory over the Parthians and that this victory was also the source of Diodotus' epithet ''soter'' (savour). Other Hellenistic kings, such as [[Antiochus I Soter]] and [[Attalus I Soter]] of [[Pergamum]] took this title to commemorate victories over existential barbarian threats. Diodotus may have done the same. This may further have been the occasion of Diodotus I's assumption of the royal title of king (''basileus'')—as a similar victory was for Attalus I.<ref name=H87101/>

The date at which this coinage began is not clear. Frank Holt suggests it was around 250 BC. The coinage seems to have been minted simultaneously at two mints—one with a more aged portrait ('Series A') and the other with a younger portrait ('Series C and E'). The mint of 'Series A & C' is generally identified with the Ai-Khanoum/Bactra mint, that of 'Series E' has not been localised. Holt proposes that the younger portrait depicts Diodotus II, perhaps junior co-regent with Diodotus I. After a break, both mints produce coins with the younger portrait and with the legend now reading {{langx|grc|ΔΙΟΔΟΤΟΥ}} ('Of Diodotus', Series D and F). Holt suggests that this break marks the death of Diodotus I and accession of Diodotus II.<ref name=H87101/>

A few tetradrachm coins depicting Diodotus I in a more 'idealising' guise were issued late in Diodotus II's reign ('Series B'). Diodotus appears also on coins struck in his memory by the later Graeco-Bactrian kings [[Agathocles]] and [[Antimachus I|Antimachus]]. These coins imitate the original design of the tetradrachms issued by Diodotus I, but with a legend on the obverse identifying the king as {{langx|grc|ΔΙΟΔΟΤΟΥ ΣΩΤΗΡΟΣ}} ('Of Diodotus Soter').<ref name=H87101/>

Diodotus also issued a bronze coinage ('Series G'). This coinage consisted of two denominations: a 'double' (c. 8.4 grammes, 20-24 millimetres in diameter) and a 'single' (4.2 g, 14–18&nbsp;mm)—possibly worth 1/48 of a silver drachm.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cunningham |first1=Alexander |title=Coins of ALexander's Successors in the East (Bactria, Ariana, and India) |date=1884 |location=London |pages=305–337}}</ref> All denominations bore the head of [[Hermes]] wearing a [[petasus]] hat on the obverse, and two [[caduceus|caducei]] (winged staffs, an attribute of Hermes) crossing one another on the reverse, with a legend reading {{langx|grc|ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ}} ('Of King Antiochus'). There is a similar break to the silver and gold coins, after which the bronzes are issued with the legend  {{langx|grc|ΔΙΟΔΟΤΟΥ}} ('Of Diodotus', 'Series H'). These bronze coins were found in very large numbers in the excavations of Ai-Khanoum.<ref>{{harvnb|Holt|1999|pp=107–125}}</ref>