The Legend of the Pergemon Kings.

According to archeological records, there has been a settlement at the site of ancient
Pergamon at least since 3000 BCE—which puts us in the Stone Age. (“Perg” or “Berg” is
an Anatolian word meaning “castle.”) Early in its history, this site was quite close to the
sea, and bordered on the Bogazasan River, making it a trade city linking inland areas to
the sea and providing a logistical route for goods to take from inland to trading partners
elsewhere. Military and governmental interests must also have been served by the city’s
location, for the city was strategically located to defend the hinterland from pirates and
invasions by sea from hostile neighbors and to tax merchants who wished to trade with
overseas markets or the hinterland. Over the several millennia since the city’s earliest
years, the alluvial valley has filled with silt however, and the river found new pathways
to the sea, so that the city no longer has so easy access to the sea.
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What is known of the city prior to the age of Alexander the Great is mostly mythology
and speculative. But at the time of Alexander’s birth in 316 BC, Asia Minor was under
Persian rule. He came to Anatolia when he was but 18 years old, attacked Persian
positions, and quickly won the war. True to his natural talents in converting enemies into
allies, he appointed the widow of the Persian commander to administer Pergamon.
Fifteen years later however, Alexander was dead, and his Empire was thrown into chaos
as his generals fought among themselves for control of the sprawling Empire.
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One of his Commanders, Antigonos, took command of a nearby area of Anatolia, but
sparred with other Commanders, Seleukos and Lysimachos, who had taken up in Syria,
Mesopotamia and Western Anatolia over who would rule the city. Lysimachos and
Seleukos allied with the Egyptian King when Antigonos attacked them. During this war,
Antigonos took Pergamon, but then lost it. He remained King of Syria however, and
watched warily as Lysimachos took up in Pergamon. With Antigonos’ treasury to finance
his power, Lysimachos launched a building program, building not only temples and new
facilities at the base of the Pergamon Acropolis, but also building the more southerly city
of Ephesus.
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In order to consolidate his power, Lysimachos established diplomatic relations with other
cities and nations and married two daughters of powerful leaders in Egypt and Persia to
cement those alliances. He also moved his huge treasure to Pergamon for safekeeping.
But Lysimachos proved to be a ruthless and paranoid ruler, and after having his own son
murdered because he was becoming too popular with the army and populace, he was
betrayed by his own military commander to Seleukos and killed in a brief war. Pergamon
then came under the rulership of Lysimachos’ castle commander, Philetairos—the very
man who had betrayed him to Seleukos.
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Philetairos seeking support invited his two brothers to come to Pergamon from Delphoi--
Attolos and Eumenes, and not having any heirs, adopted his nephew, Eumenes I, as his
son. After his death in 263 BC, Eumenes I became King. At this time, deposed
Commander Antigonos, sensing perhaps a moment of vulnerability for the new ruler,
demanded the city’s treasure back from the young King and Eumenes was forced to go to
war to protect his kingship. The young king attacked his enemy in Syria, defeated
Antigonos, and in the retreat, Antigonos died. With Syria defeated, Eumenes took
advantage of the opportunity take Syrian territory, restored the Acropolis and built new
castles as outposts to guard the lands he now ruled. To secure his eastern borders, he paid
a “tax” to a tribe of Galatians, the Tolisgots, so he needn’t maintain armed men there.
Eumenes proved to be a popular and well loved ruler, creating at Pergamon a center of
artistic and scientific learning. After 22 years of governing, Eumenes I died, the first of
the legendary Pergamon Kings.
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After the death of Eumenes, his brother Attolos took the throne. Attolos, feeling that the
deal cut by his brother with the Galatians dishonored the city, cut off the tribute the city
was paying to Tolisgots. The Tolisgots then moved against him, and the resulting shift in
the balance of power in the region kept Attolos in a state of war for the next 43 years of
his reign. Other border tribes allied themselves with Seleukos in Syria and moved against
the city, but Attolos met and defeated them one by one. As a result, the State of
Pergamon was expanded from the Sea of Marmara to the Toros Mountains. Seleukos’ in
Syria then moved against Pergamon but was killed in the fighting as well. His sons,
Seleukos II and Antiochus Heirex, took up the reigns of power in Syria, but turned to
fighting one another, giving Attolos the opportunity to join forces with Seleukos II and
between them defeat the armies of Antiochus and the rest of the Galatians. Again, the
Pergamon Empire expanded.
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The growing power of the Pergamon bloodline however was threatening to more than
just Syria and nearby tribes. The defeated Antiochus turned to another ally, Achaios, to
help him retrieve the land lost to Pergamon, and thus Pergamon now found itself
besieged by yet another enemy. But Antiochus soon felt threatened by his new allies, and
so he paradoxically found himself allied shortly against Achaios with Pergamon itself.
This war took four years and lasted until the allies had cornered Achaios in Sardeision
castle, where he was killed by his own soldiers.
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Undoubtedly weary of war, Attolos turned to the west for new allies, seeking diplomatic
relations with Greece. But when Macedonian king Phillipos V threatened Pergamon’s
ally, the Aetolia Union, Attolos came to the Union’s aid and allied with Rome. Until his
death in 197 BC, fought the Macedonians, trying to drive them out of Asia Minor, but
could not defeat them.
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Attolos ruled Pergamon for 43 years, and was credited for building Pergamon’s famous
library—a library that made even the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra jealous enough to deny
Pergamon Egyptian papyrus.
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Upon the death of Attolos, the third Pergamon King took the throne: Attolos’ son,
Eumenes II. Eumenes immediately faced new warfare and showd his mettle by defeating
Phillipos V of the Macedonians and Antiochus III, the king of Seleucids. With these
victories, Pergamon’s rule now stretched as far north as Canakkale.
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Eumenes II ruled for 38 years—the period known as the Golden Age of Pergamon.
Pergamon became a center for artists, poets, historians, the sciences, mathematics,
literature, ship building, fine architecture, manufacturing and philosophy. The Temple of
Zeus was completed. The library begun by his father was expanded. The city became a
place of beauty and culture known throughout the Mediterranean.
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With the death of Eumenes II in 159 BC, the kingdom of the Pergamon Kings began to
disintegrate. Before his death, Eumenes arranged the marriage of his wife to his brother,
Stratonike so that his 12 year old son, Attalos III, would have strong guidance when he
ascended the throne. Attalos’ first mistake once king was to dethrone the Cappadocian
King, Oropher, and replace him with his brother-in-law Ariarathes. Then, the king of
Bithynia began to probe the Pergamon borders and asked Rome to side with them. Then,
the Kingdom of Prusias attacked the city of Pergamon, sacked and burned it, and bottled
Attolos III up in the Acropolis.
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Rome however sided with the young Attolos and other city-states allied with Pergamon
came to her aid. Attolos II reigned for 21 years, restoring the city after it burned, and
financing many monuments. During his reign, the famous Asklepion where medical care
was available was established.
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His son, Attolos III, took over at his death. Closely attached to his mother, Attolos III was
known as a “poisoner,” allegedly deliberately poisoning sick patients so as to have
subjects to experiment upon to find “cures.” He died in 133 BC while working on a statue
of his mother, leaving the rule of the country (in his will) to the Romans.
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The population did not wish to be ruled by Rome and revolted, lead by an illegitimate son
of Eumenes named Aristorikos. Rome sent an army to the city to pacify it. Aristorikos’
army defeated the Roman force, but a second Roman army was sent in 130 BC. This
time, Aristorikos was captured and secreted away to Rome where he was murdered.
Wealthy citizens moved away from the city to protect their wealth from Roman taxes.
Rome dealt ruthlessly with Pergamon’s restless populace, and granted her enemies
portions of the kingdom’s lands in exchange for aid in subduing Pergamon’s population
and rioting colonies in other cities.
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During the rule of Caesar in Rome, Pergamon thrived, but it was not to be for long. Her
artists began to abandon the city for freer environments elsewhere. And when Rome
gifted Egypt’s Queen Cleopatra with Pergamon library’s 200,000 books and parchments,
the city’s role as a scientific and literary center ended. Pergamon continued as a Roman
colony under a succession of Roman emperors. During this time, Temples and
monuments were built to the Roman Emperors, but the artistic, scientific and literary life
of the city never recovered. In 166 AD, the plague swept through Pergamon, killing
thousands, and it was again destroyed by earthquakes during the reign of Emperor
Valerianus I (253 – 260 AD). The role and significance of the city by this time was
eclipsed by its sister city, Ephesus, to its south.
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When Emperor Dilkletianus divided the Asia Province into smaller provinces, Pergamon
became a part of the new Asia province (284-305).
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By the beginning of the fourth century AD, the Roman Catholic Church had become
dogmatic and literalist in its theology, and it turned to an attack of the remaining vestiges
of the “old religions” of the Empire. Pergamon was known as a center for many religions
and cultures, but by the Church, it was known as “The Devil’s Throne.” In 313 AD,
Emperor Constantine declared Christianity a free religion, and during the reign of
Emperor Theodosios, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire (379
AD).
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The Western Roman Empire collapsed under the attacks of barbarian tribes by the end of
the fourth century AD, but the Eastern Empire continued. Pergamon of course was a
vassal city, administered by government and military staff of the Emperor. When the
Empire was divided, Pergamon was given to the Byzantine Latin Empire, but in fact
functioned as a part of the Nikeia Empire.
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In 1301, the armies of the East were defeated by Turkish armies entering the region, and
Pergamon came under the rule of the Turks. By this time, the city was in ruins, but the
castle on the mount was useable and in relatively good condition. By 1345, the city and
its lands were bound to the Ottoman Empire, where it remained for more than 500 years.
In 1922, the city briefly was occupied by Greek forces following World War I, but as a
result of the revolution by Attiturk’s forces, it was shortly back under Turkish authority.
Under the Lausanne Agreement following Attiturk’s victory, foreign Muslems living in
Greece returned and many moved to this area to settle. Today the Acropolis is in ruins,
but is a popular tourist attraction due to its colorful past. The village of Bergama at the
foot of the mountain also is an agricultural center and tourist attraction.
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Source: Tevhit Kekec, “Pergamon” (Hittite Color: Istanbul). A guidebook published for
English speaking tourists of Pergamon.