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EUMENES

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Originally appearing in Volume V09, Page 889 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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EUMENES , the name of two rulers of See also:

Pergamum. 1. EUMENES I. succeeded his See also:uncle Philetaerus in 263 B.C. The only important event in his reign was his victory near See also:Sardis over See also:Antiochus See also:Soter, which enabled him to secure See also:possession of the districts See also:round his See also:capital. (See PEIGAMUM.) 2. EUMENES II., son of Attalus I., was See also:king of Pergamum from 197—159 B.C. During the greater See also:part of his reign he was a loyal ally of the See also:Romans, who bestowed upon him See also:signal marks of favour. He materially contributed to the defeat of Antiochus of See also:Syria at the See also:battle of See also:Magnesia (190), and as a See also:reward for his services the Thracian See also:Chersonese and all See also:Ant,ioclius's possessions as far as the See also:Taurus were bestowed upon him, including a See also:protectorate of such See also:Greek cities as had not been declared See also:free. In his quarrels with his neighbours the Romans intervened on his behalf, and on the occasion of his visit to See also:Rome to complain of the conduct of See also:Perseus, king of See also:Macedonia, he was received with the greatest distinction. On his return See also:journey he narrowly escaped assassination by the emissaries of Perseus. Although he supported the Romans in the See also:war against Macedonia, he displayed so little See also:energy and See also:interest (even recalling his auxiliaries) that he was suspected of intriguing with the enemy. According to See also:Polybius there was some See also:foundation for the suspicion, ' but Eumenes declared that he had merely been negotiating for an See also:exchange of prisoners.

Nothing, however, came., of these negotiations, whatever may have been their real See also:

object; and Eumenes, in See also:order to avert suspicion, sent his congratulations to Rome by his See also:brother Attalus after the defeat of Perseus (168). Attalus was received courteously but coldly; and Eumenes in alarm set out to visit Rome in See also:person, but on his arrival at Brundusium was ordered to leave See also:Italy at once. Eumenes never regained the See also:good See also:graces of the Romans, who showed especial favour to Attalus on his second visit to Rome, probably with the object of setting him against Eumenes; but the ties of kinship proved too strong. The last years of his reign were disturbed by renewed hostilities against Prusias of See also:Bithynia and the Celts of See also:Galatia, and probably only his See also:death prevented a war with Rome. Eumenes, although physically weak, was a shrewd and vigorous ruler and politician, who raised his little See also:state from insignificance to a powerful See also:monarchy. During his reign Pergamum became a flourishing See also:city, where men of learning were always welcome, among them See also:Crates of Mallus, the founder of the Pergamene school of See also:criticism. Eumenes adorned the city with splendid buildings, amongst them the See also:great See also:altar with the See also:frieze representing the Battle of the Giants; but the greatest See also:monument of his liberality was the foundation of the library, which was second only to that of See also:Alexandria. See See also:Livy xxxix. 51, xlii. it-16; Polybius xxi.-xxxii.; See also:Appian, Syriaca ; Livy, Epit. 46; See also:Cornelius See also:Nepos, See also:Hannibal, so; A. G. See also:van Cappelle, Commentatio de regibus et antiquitatibus Pergamenis (See also:Amsterdam, 1841). For the altar of See also:Zeus, see PERGAMUM; for treaty with Cretan cities (183 B.c.) see Monumenti antichi, xviii.

177.

End of Article: EUMENES

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