56 siglinde dietz
von Hinüber,^44 “there is no traceable Greek in uence on form or content
of the purely Indic dialogue.” In our context it is worth mentioning
that, according to Fussman’s^45 research the Pli Milindapañha and the
Chinese translation *Ngasena bhik u stra (The Discourse of the Monk
Ngasena)^46 are both translations of the same text, which was written
in a northwestern Middle Indic, perhaps Gndhr.^47 Nevertheless,
Menander’s interest in Buddhism might have been a genuine one,
because there exist coins issued by this king which show a wheel similar
to the Buddhist cakra.^48 Also Plutarch relates that after Menander’s death
his relics were distributed among all his capitals where monuments
were erected to enshrine them.^49 King Menander shares with Aoka
and Kanika, who both were celebrated as protectors and supporters
of Buddhism, the fate that none of them is mentioned as a Buddhist
in any other sources. Only one Greek name is found in the Buddhist
Kharo h inscriptions of the Indo-Greek period. It is that of the upsaka
Theodoros. This lack of information on the Greeks in the inscriptions
of Gandhra and Panjab seems to indicate that there was no notice-
able Greek in uence on Buddhism and that the success of Buddhism
in Gandhra is contemporary with or posterior to the collapse of the
Indo-Greeks in Gandhra.^50
In the rst century BC the Indo-Greek kingdoms were conquered by
the akas (Scythians) who, in turn, were vanquished by the Pahlavas
(Parthians) a century later. The akas as well as the Pahlavas were
initially destroying Buddhist monuments but later changed their atti-
tudes and rebuilt Taxila according to Greek town-planning rules. They
enlarged the Dharmarjika stpa and presented the sagha with rich
gifts according to epigraphical sources. At the beginning of the rst
century AD, the Kuas of the Yuezhi (Indo-Scythians) united the
northwest and founded an empire that extended southwards across the
whole of North India as far as Sñch, to the west into Afghanistan
and to the east into Chinese Turkestan. Their capital was Puruapura
(^44) von Hinüber 2000, p. 83.
(^45) Fussman 1993, p. 66. See also Lamotte 1958, pp. 465–468.
(^46) T.1670A.32.0694a02–0703c04 (2 vols.); T.1670B.32.0703c06–0719a20 (3 vols.).
Cf. Demiéville 1925, pp. 1–258.
(^47) Boucher 1998, p. 472.
(^48) The cakra is the symbol for the Buddha’s teaching (dharma).
(^49) This custom is very popular among Buddhists. Cf. Kulke & Rothermund 1998,
p. 95.
(^50) Fussman 1994, p. 26.