2. Silver
drachm of
Menander I(155-130 BC). Obv:Greek legend, ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΣΩΤΗΡΟΣ ΜΕΝΑΝΔΡΟΥ (BASILEOS SOTEROS MENANDROU) lit. "Of Saviour King Menander". Rev:Kharosthi legend: MAHARAJA TRATASA MENADRASA "Saviour King Menander". Athena Alkidemos advancing right, with thunderbolt and shield.
Menander I was the first Indo-Greek ruler to introduce the representation of Athena Alkidemos ("Athena, saviour of the people") on his coins ):
Alkidemos or Alcidemos (defender of the people,
demos) is a divine epithet, attested only by the Roman historian
Livy (42.51), for the goddess
Athena worshipped at
Pella,
Macedonia. A similar Macedonian epithet of Athena was Alcis. Athena Alkidemos with thunderbolt and shield (
aegis) was a usual depiction in Hellenistic
tetradrachms.