The Greek king whose coins may carry a Buddhist wheel
Menander I was an Indo-Greek king whose realm grew from the Hellenistic world Alexander's campaigns had created. Ruling across what is now Afghanistan and Pakistan in the 2nd century BCE, he issued a rare coin type that scholars identify as possibly bearing the eight-spoked dharma wheel — an identification that remains debated. Buddhist tradition remembers him as "King Milinda," whose long dialogue with the sage Nagasena is preserved in the Milindapanha, a classic of Buddhist literature.
How we know
Menander I reigned c. 165/155–130 BCE over the Indo-Greek Kingdom, a Hellenistic successor realm. A rare bronze coin type carries what scholars tentatively identify as the eight-spoked dharmachakra, though the symbol's Buddhist meaning is debated (it also appears alongside Greek victory iconography). The Pali Milindapanha (Questions of Milinda) records his dialogue with the sage Nagasena. Sources: Wikipedia "Menander I"; Wikipedia "Milinda Panha"; New World Encyclopedia "Menander I"; Mintage World "Eight-spoke wheel on ancient Indian coins."
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