Berenike (Preveza) Buddha and Buddhist artifacts reveal 200-year community in Roman Egypt. Three stone Buddha statues found, including the 100 cm (3 ft) Berenike (Preveza) Buddha and a headless Buddha in matching style Both Buddhas derive from standing Buddha types common during Kushan period under King Kanishka The Buddhas were carved from marble sourced from Mediterranean quarries near Proconnesus or Paros

Mind-blowing finds at Berenike: a 71 cm stone Buddha from the 2nd century AD, carved from marble yet following Kushan-period standing Buddha types under Kanishka — with Roman-style hair! A stele depicts Samana, Vasudeva, and Ekachamsrana from the Pancaratra movement, matching coins from Aikhanum. A 248 AD bilingual Sanskrit-Greek inscription names Roman Emperor Philip the Arab. A terracotta once labeled "Roman auxiliary" is now identified as an Indo-Greek warrior from Satavahana territory. Buddhist worship in the Temple of Isis lasted 150+ years! 🗿🙏

Key Facts

  • Three stone Buddha statues found, including the 100 cm (3 ft) Berenike (Preveza) Buddha and a headless Buddha in matching style
  • Both Buddhas derive from standing Buddha types common during Kushan period under King Kanishka
  • The Buddhas were carved from marble sourced from Mediterranean quarries near Proconnesus or Paros
  • The Berenike (Preveza) Buddha dates to the 2nd century AD, around the reigns of Trajan or Hadrian
  • Art historians concluded the Buddha statues draw on Greco-Roman sculptural traditions, including Roman-style hair
  • A stele depicts Samana, Vasudeva, and Ekachamsrana, figures associated with the Pancaratra movement
  • Earliest known depictions of these figures appear on coins from the 180s under Agathocles, excavated at Aikhanum
  • A bilingual Sanskrit-Greek inscription dated to 248 AD (reign of Philip the Arab) is the only known Sanskrit inscription to name a Roman emperor
  • The inscription references a kshatriya named Bazula who erected an image (likely a Buddha)
  • Two Indian coins from the Satavahana period indicate trade with that Indian kingdom
  • A terracotta statue initially thought to depict a Roman auxiliary is now believed to be an Indo-Greek warrior from Satavahana territory
  • A space dedicated to Buddha worship in the Temple of Isis existed for at least a century and a half
  • Archaeological evidence indicates a Buddhist community in Roman Egypt for at least 200 years

Related site: Berenike (Preveza) — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.

Source: The Lost World of Roman Buddhism by The Historian's Craft