Philoxenus Anicetus (Greek: , PhilÃÂxenos ho AnÃÂkÃÂtos, meaning "Philoxenus the Invincible") was an Indo-Greek king who ruled in the region spanning the Paropamisade to Punjab. Philoxenus seems to have been quite an important king who might briefly have ruled most of the Indo-Greek territory. Bopearachchi dates Philoxenus to c. 100âÂÂ95 BCE and R. C. Senior to c. 125âÂÂ110 BCE.
Historians have not yet connected Philoxenus with any dynasty, but he could have been the father of the princess Kalliope, who was married to the king Hermaeus.
Philoxenus struck several series of bilingual Indian silver coins, with a reverse of a mounted king, a type previously used as obverse by Antimachus II about sixty years earlier and as reverse on rare types of Nicias. Whether the horseman was a dynastic emblem or a portrait of the king as a cavalryman is unclear. Several Saka kings used similar horsemen on their coinage.
Philoxenus means "lover of foreigners" or "hospitable" in Greek, and considering that his drachms were square, a feature that was rare among Indo-Greeks but standard for Sakas, this shows that Philoxenus had good connection and relations with the nomads that had conquered Bactria.
Philoxenus also minted some Attic-type tetradrachms (with Greek legend only), meant for circulation in Bactria. These coins show the king either bareheaded and wearing a diadem, or wearing crested helmets on the obverse. The reverse shows most likely the king himself in Hellenistic military uniform and riding a horse. This design also shows the king making a blessing gesture with his right hand.
Philoxenus also struck bronzes with female deity/bull, or Helios/Nike.
One overstrike is known, of Epander over Philoxenus.
Philoxenus issued a variety of different coin standards, including some Attic coins, square Indian coins, and also circular bilingual coins with Greek and Kharosthi scripts.