Demetrius I of Bactria

Demetrius, Greek king of Bactria, is a legend as well as an enigma. Mentioned by Geoffrey Chaucer ("D, lord of Ind") and a hero of Indian folklore under the folk-etymological name Dharma-Mithra, he is mainly known from coins. He was the son of Euthydemus and succeeded him sometime early 2nd century BC, after which he conquered extensive areas in what now is eastern Iran, Pakistan and Punjab, thus briefly creating a large Hellenistic empire far from Greece. Polybius mentions him being murdered by his general Eucratides, the empire being divided shortly after his death. The great Graeco-Indian king Menander of India is said to have been a relative or officer of Demetrius. However, scarcity of sources make historians unsure about chronology, and most likely the coins of Demetrius refer to two kings, the second of which is by default assumed to be son of the first. Other Bactrian kings like Panthaleon, Agatocles and Antimachus may also have belonged to the same dynasty and period, but their precise relationship remains unveiled.