- Eumenes II
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king of Pergamum. 197-c159 B.C.
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died 160/159 BCKing of Pergamum (197 BC–с 160).He continued the policy of his father, Attalus I Soter, of cooperation with Rome. He helped defeat Antiochus III, thus enlarging his realm. He brought his kingdom to its height and made it a great centre of Greek culture; in particular, he is credited with constructing nearly all the public buildings and sculpture on the Pergamum acropolis. He was suspected of disloyalty in the Roman struggle against Perseus; Rome subsequently withdrew its support, and Eumenes's power and the glory of Pergamum declined. His brother Attalus II became coruler с 160 BC.* * *
▪ king of Pergamumdied 160/159 BCking of Pergamum from 197 until his death. A brilliant statesman, he brought his small kingdom to the peak of its power and did more than any other Attalid monarch to make Pergamum a great centre of Greek culture in the East.Eumenes was the eldest son and successor of Attalus I Soter (ruled 241–197), and he continued his father's policy of cooperation with Rome. His military skill contributed substantially to the victory of Roman and Pergamene forces over the Seleucid king Antiochus III in the battle of Magnesia, in Lydia (autumn of 190). As his reward Eumenes was given control over the Thracian Chersonese (modern Gallipoli peninsula in European Turkey) and over most of the former Seleucid possessions in Asia Minor. Despite this enlargement of his domain, Eumenes realized that his power rested on Roman might. He therefore cultivated friendship with the Romans, securing their intervention in his struggles against the kings of Bithynia and Pontus, in northern Anatolia.In 172 Eumenes visited Rome to denounce Perseus, the king of Macedonia, for allegedly plotting aggressions in the East. He then joined the Romans in their struggle against Perseus (Third Macedonian War (Macedonian Wars), 171–168), but when the war dragged on it was rumoured that Eumenes was negotiating secretly with the enemy. Whatever the truth of the report, the mere suspicion of disloyalty was enough to put Eumenes permanently in the shadow of Rome's displeasure.Eumenes was responsible for the construction of nearly all the main public buildings—together with their splendid sculptures—on the acropolis at Pergamum.* * *
Universalium. 2010.
