Eumenes II

King of Pergamum (r. 197-160 or 159 b. c.e.)

Born: Date unknown; Pergamum Died: 160 or 159 b. c.e.; Pergamum Category: Government and politics

Life Eumenes II (YEW-muh-neez) inherited the kingship of Pergamum from his father, Attalus I, in 197 b. c.e. On his accession, Eumenes was faced by threats from Philip V of Macedonia to his west and Antiochus the Great of Syria to his south. By this time, Rome had become the dominating power in the Greek world, and Eumenes’ policy of friendship with Rome paid off handsomely. For his support of the Romans against Antiochus in 192 b. c.e. and then at the Battle of Magnesia ad Sipylum in 189 b. c.e., he was rewarded with parts of Seleucid Asia Minor and the Thracian Chersonese, a substantial elephant corps, and a large monetary sum. Pergamum suddenly became a strong and rich kingdom in Asia Minor. Eumenes continued his friendship with Rome, although his power excited suspicion, and helped Rome defeat the last Macedonian king, Perseus, in 168 b. c.e.

Eumenes introduced economic reforms, increased the size of the city, and inaugurated a building program. The Great Altar of Zeus at Pergamum (180175 b. c.e.), with its frieze depicting battle between the gods and giants to symbolize the Attalids’ victories over the Gauls, was a product of his reign.

Influence Under Eumenes II, Pergamum became a powerful and rich kingdom. The Great Altar of Zeus, which he commissioned, is one of the marvels of ancient art.

Further Reading

Allen, R. E. The Attalid Kingdom: A Constitutional History. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 1983.

Green, Peter. Alexander to Actium: The Historical Evolution of the Hellenistic Age. Reprint. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1993.

Grummond, Nancy T. de, and Brunilde S. Ridgway. From Pergamum to Sperlonga: Sculpture and Context. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2000.

Ian Worthington

See also: Antiochus the Great; Attalid Dynasty; Magnesia ad Sipylum, Battle of; Philip V; Zeus at Pergamum, Great Altar of.