Attalid dynasty

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Kingdom of Pergamon
282 BC–133 BC
Coat of arms
Coat of arms
Capital Pergamon
Languages Greek
Lycian, Carian, Lydian
Government Monarchy
King
 •  282–263 BC Philetaerus
 •  263–241 BC Eumenes I
 •  241–197 BC Attalus I
 •  197–159 BC Eumenes II
 •  160–138 BC Attalus II
 •  138–133 BC Attalus III
 •  133–129 BC Eumenes III
Historical era Hellenistic period
 •  Philetaerus takes control of the city of Pergamon 282 BC
 •  Attalus III bequeathed the kingdom to the Roman Republic 133 BC
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Seleucid Empire
Roman Republic

The Attalid dynasty (/ˈætəld/; Greek: Δυναστεία των Ατταλιδών) was a Hellenistic dynasty that ruled the city of Pergamon after the death of Lysimachus, a general of Alexander the Great. The Attalid kingdom was the rump state left after the collapse of the Lysimachian Empire. One of Lysimachus' officers, Philetaerus, took control of the city in 282 BC. The later Attalids were descended from his father, and they expanded the city into a kingdom. Attalus I proclaimed himself King in the 230s BC, following his victories over the Galatians. The Attalids ruled Pergamon until Attalus III bequeathed the kingdom to the Roman Republic in 133 BC[1] to avoid a likely succession crisis. A war with Eumenes III resulted in the creation of Roman province of Asia over much of the territory.

On the interior of the Pergamon Altar is a frieze depicting the life of Telephus, son of Herakles, whom the ruling Attalid dynasty associated with its city and utilized to claim descent from the Olympians. Pergamon, having entered the Greek world much later than its counterparts to the west, could not boast the same divine heritage as older city-states, and retroactively had to cultivate its place in Greek mythology.

Dynasty of Pergamon

Genealogy

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Namesakes

  • Attalea in Lydia, Roman city, former diocese and present Latin Catholic titular bishopric; now Yanantepe
  • Attalea in Pamphylia, Roman city, former diocese and present Latin Catholic titular bishopric; now Antalya

Notes

  1. Shipley (2000) pp. 318-319.

Sources

  • Shipley (2000). The Greek World After Alexander, 323-30 B.C.
  • Hansen, Esther V. (1971). The Attalids of Pergamon. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press; London: Cornell University Press Ltd. ISBN 0-8014-0615-3.
  • Kosmetatou, Elizabeth (2003) "The Attalids of Pergamon," in Andrew Erskine, ed., A Companion to the Hellenistic World. Oxford: Blackwell: pp. 159–174. ISBN 1-4051-3278-7. text

External links

  • Media related to Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. at Wikimedia Commons