- Greek:
- Pergamon
- Major Events:
- Macedonian Wars
- Key People:
- Galen
- Antiochus Hierax
- Karl Humann
- Eumenes I
- Related Places:
- Anatolia
- Bergama
- ancient Greece
- ancient Middle East
- Mysia
Pergamum
-
What was Pergamum?
Pergamum was an ancient Greek city in Mysia, situated on a hill 16 miles from the Aegean Sea, within modern-day Bergama, Turkey. It rose to prominence during the Hellenistic Age (323–30 BCE) as the residence of the Attalid dynasty, who initially ruled as vassals of the Seleucid kingdom before declaring independence.
The Attalids transformed Pergamum into a significant Greek city, renowned for its city planning, library, and art collections. After the death of Attalus III without an heir, he bequeathed the kingdom to Rome in 133 BCE. Under Roman rule, Pergamum's population reached an estimated 200,000.
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Where was Pergamum located?
Pergamum was an ancient Greek city in Mysia, situated 16 miles from the Aegean Sea, on a high hill on the northern side of the Caicus River valley in what is now Turkey. The site of Pergamum is currently occupied by the modern town of Bergama, in the province of İzmir.
Pergamum existed from at least the 5th century BCE, rising to prominence during the Hellenistic Age, from 323 to 30 BCE, when it was the residence of the Attalid dynasty. The fortress and palace of Pergamum stood on the peak of the hill, with the town occupying the lower slopes. Under the Roman Empire, the city was situated on the plain below.
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What was Pergamum known for in ancient times?
Pergamum, an ancient Greek city in present-day Turkey, was known for its significance during the Hellenistic Age, serving as the residence of the Attalid dynasty. The Attalids transformed Pergamum into one of the most important and beautiful Greek cities of the time, making it a center of Greek culture in the East.
The city housed a library that rivaled the Library of Alexandria. After Ptolemy Philadelphus banned the export of papyrus from Egypt, Pergamum developed parchment (charta pergamena), which was more durable than papyrus, marking a significant advancement in disseminating knowledge.
The Attalids expanded their territory through an alliance with Rome, gaining agricultural surpluses and silver. They adorned the city with works of art and constructed notable monuments, including a theater, the temple to Athena Nicephorus, and the great altar of Zeus.
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What important buildings or landmarks did Pergamum have?
Pergamum, an ancient Greek city in Turkey, was renowned for its impressive structures. The Attalid dynasty transformed the city into one of the most important and beautiful Greek cities of the Hellenistic Age.
Key landmarks of Pergamum included:
* A library that rivaled the Library of Alexandria
* A theater
* A temple to Athena Nicephorus
* The Great Altar of Zeus, a masterpiece of Hellenistic art
* A marketplace, gymnasium, and temples to Hera and Demeter in the lower city
* An amphitheater and racetrack from Roman timesThe city's architectural and artistic reputation was largely due to the extensive building and rebuilding efforts of kings Eumenes II and Attalus III.
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How did Pergamum influence culture, science, or medicine?
Pergamum significantly influenced culture, science, and medicine, particularly during the Hellenistic Age under the Attalid dynasty. The Attalids transformed Pergamum into a prominent Greek city, renowned for its city planning, architecture, and art.
The city housed a library that rivaled Alexandria's, fostering intellectual growth. Pergamum is also linked to the development of parchment (charta pergamena), which facilitated knowledge dissemination.
In medicine, Galen of Pergamum, a physician, writer, and philosopher, profoundly impacted medical theory and practice, with his authority lasting from the Middle Ages to the mid-17th century. His physiology, based on dissections and research, proposed a system involving spirits passing through veins, arteries, and nerves to vitalize the body.
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What happened to Pergamum, and what remains of it today?
Pergamum, an ancient Greek city in Mysia, present-day Turkey, became prominent during the Hellenistic Age as the residence of the Attalid dynasty. The Attalids transformed Pergamum into a significant Greek city, renowned for its city planning, library, and art.
When Attalus III, died without an heir, he bequeathed the kingdom to Rome in 133 BCE. Under Roman rule, Pergamum maintained its importance, with an estimated population of 200,000. After the fall of Rome, the Byzantines ruled Pergamum until the early 14th century when it fell to the Ottomans.
Today, the modern town of Bergama occupies the site. Extensive ruins of ancient Pergamum, including the acropolis, lie northeast of the Bergama River. The Pergamon Museum in Berlin houses a restored part of the altar of Zeus and its reliefs.
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Pergamum, ancient Greek city in Mysia, situated 16 miles from the Aegean Sea on a lofty isolated hill on the northern side of the broad valley of the Caicus (modern Bakır) River. The site is occupied by the modern town of Bergama, in the il (province) of İzmir, Turkey. Pergamum existed at least from the 5th century bce, but it became important only in the Hellenistic Age (323–30 bce), when it served as the residence of the Attalid dynasty. Their fortress and palace stood on the peak of the hill, while the town itself occupied the lower slopes. Under the Roman Empire the city was situated on the plain below.
It had formal autonomy under the Attalids, who, however, interfered in most aspects of civic government. Initially they ruled Pergamum as vassals of the Seleucid kingdom, but Eumenes I declared himself independent of Antiochus I (263 bce). When he died in 241, he was succeeded by his nephew Attalus I, who defeated the Galatians and assumed the royal title; the dynasty received its name from him. The original Attalid territory around Pergamum (Mysia) was greatly expanded by 188 bce with the addition of Lydia (excluding most Greek coastal cities), part of Phrygia, Lycaonia, and Pisidia (from 183 bce), all former Seleucid territories. This expansion was accomplished as the result of Eumenes II’s alliance with Rome in its conflict with the Seleucid Antiochus III.
When Eumenes’ son and second successor, Attalus III, died without an heir, he bequeathed the kingdom to Rome (133). Rome accepted it and set up the province of Asia (129), which included Ionia and the territory of Pergamum, but left the other regions to neighbouring kings, who were clients of Rome. The kingdom of Pergamum yielded much wealth, especially in agricultural surpluses and silver, first to the Attalid rulers and later to Rome.
The Attalids made the city of Pergamum one of the most important and beautiful of all Greek cities in the Hellenistic Age; it is one of the most outstanding examples of city planning in that period. They built a library excelled only by that at Alexandria. The kings after Attalus I collected many works of art from Greece to adorn the city’s temples and courtyards, supplementing the many works of sculpture, painting, and decoration commissioned from resident artists. In Roman times its population was an estimated 200,000. Excavations that were begun in 1878 under the auspices of the Berlin Museum, besides unearthing many artistic treasures, have enabled archaeologists to reconstruct the plan of the most important areas of the Hellenistic city. Its monuments included a theatre; the temple to Athena Nicephorus; and the great altar of Zeus with its richly decorated frieze, a masterpiece of Hellenistic art. A part of the altar and its surviving reliefs, restored and mounted, now stands in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin.
The civic structures of the lower city included a large marketplace, a gymnasium, and temples of Hera and Demeter. Roman remains include an amphitheatre, a theatre, and a racetrack. The early Attalids erected the first structures of the upper (royal) city, but the later kings Eumenes II and Attalus III, by their extensive building and rebuilding, were chiefly responsible for the city’s great architectural and artistic reputation. After the fall of Rome, Pergamum was ruled by the Byzantines until it passed into Ottoman hands early in the 14th century.