It consists of a broad, elongated base and a relatively small peak - the upper city. For a period he enjoyed success, defeating and killing the Roman consul P. Licinius Crassus and his army, but he was defeated in 129 BC by the consul M. Perperna. Others had wide columned halls in front of main rooms to the north. [64][65], In the New Testament Book of Revelation, the faith of the Pergamon believers, who "dwell where Satan’s throne is" is commended by the author. The southeast slope and the whole western slope of the hill were now settled and opened up by streets. Epigraphic documents survive showing how the Attalids supported the growth of towns by sending in skilled artisans and by remitting taxes. The base of the cult image inside the cella supported three cult statues. The Pergamon Altar, P. v Zaubern, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, 1991. They built a library excelled only by that at Alexandria. The inhabitants of Pergamon were supplied with water by an effective system. They allowed the Greek cities in their domains to maintain nominal independence. 2:13b). Under Attalos I some minor changes were made to the city of Philetairos. Pergamum was a center for the worship of Dionysus, Zeus, and other pagan gods. The message to the Pergamene church was from the Lord Jesus Christ, specifically addressed to the “angel” (or “messenger”) of the church: “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘These are the words of him who has the … On the north side, the rock forms a 70 m wide spur of rock. The Caicus river breaks through the surrounding mountains and hills at this point and flows in a wide arc to the southwest. For the construction under Eumenes II, a city block of 35 x 45 m can be reconstructed, subject to significant variation as a result of the terrain. In Roman times its population was an estimated 200,000. The apostle John wrote a letter to the Christians who lived in Pergamum. Pergamon reached the height of its influence during the Hellenistic period, becomin… In the centre of the western half of this courtyard, stood the Ionic temple of Demeter, a straightforward Antae temple, measuring 6.45 x 12.7 metres, with a porch in the Corinthian order which was added in the time of Antoninus Pius. In the middle of the 2nd century, Pergamon was one of the largest cities in the province, along with these two, and had around 200,000 inhabitants. The two terraces were linked by a staircase of eleven steps around 7.5 metres wide, descending from the front of the temple. Corrections? The climate is Mediterranean with a dry period from May to August, as is common along the west coast of Asia Minor. [10] Only with Alexander the Great was Pergamon and the surrounding area removed from Persian control. In late antiquity, it experienced a limited economic recovery. Since 2006, the excavations have been led by Felix Pirson.[42]. The sanctuary of Hera Basileia ('the Queen') lay north of the upper terrace of the gymnasium. In 238 his successor Attalus I defeated the Galatians, to whom Pergamon had paid tribute under Eumenes I. Initially they ruled Pergamum as vassals of the Seleucid kingdom, but Eumenes I declared himself independent of Antiochus I (263 bce). A marble stage building was only built in the 1st century BC. The foundations, measuring around 12.70 x 21.80 metres, are still visible today. [86] Notable extant structures in the Asclepium include: Pergamon's other notable structure is the great temple of the Egyptian gods Isis and/or Serapis, known today as the "Red Basilica" (or Kızıl Avlu in Turkish), about one kilometre (0.62 miles) south of the Acropolis at (39 7' 19" N, 27 11' 1" E). [34] All of these claims derive their significance from Alexander the Great, who claimed descent from Heracles, through his father Philip II.[35]. The civic structures of the lower city included a large marketplace, a gymnasium, and temples of Hera and Demeter. It had formal autonomy under the Attalids, who, however, interfered in most aspects of civic government. Of all the seven cities, Pergamum was the one in which the church was most likely to clash with the ruling civil and religious … [19][20], It suffered from the attacks of the Seljuks on western Anatolia after the Battle of Manzikert in 1071: after attacks in 1109 and in 1113, the city was largely destroyed and rebuilt only by Emperor Manuel I Komnenos (r. 1143–1180) in c. 1170. Pergamon, Mysia, circa 450 BC. [15] Eumenes II and Attalus II (whose epithet was 'Philadelphos' - 'he who loves his brother') were even compared to the mythical pair of brothers, Cleobis and Biton.[16]. During the Hellenistic period, it became the capital of the Kingdom of Pergamon under the Attalid dynasty in 281–133 BC, who transformed it into one of the major cultural centres of the Greek world. [20] The presence of an Armenian community, probably from refugees from the Muslim conquests, is attested during the 7th century, from which the emperor Philippikos (r. 711–713) hailed. Pergamum was located 50 miles to the north of Smyrna (looked at last week). The Lost Letters of Pergamum, a book by Bruce W, Longenecker is a fictional book that gives multiple views of the culture of the first century Church. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The Second World War also caused a break in work at Pergamon, which lasted until 1957. 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