Prusias II

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Prusias II. Kynegos ( Greek Προυσίας Βʹ ὁ Κυνηγός Prousias B ho Kynēgos , "the hunter"; † 149 BC ) was a king of Bithynia . He succeeded his father Prusias I on the throne.

Life

Prusias II teamed up with Eumenes II of Pergamon in a war against Pharnakes I of Pontus in the years 181-179 BC. Together. He married Apame, the sister of King Perseus of Macedon. When the Roman Empire war against Perseus, Prusias II initially acted neutral, but then stepped over to the side of Rome.

167 BC Prusias II traveled to Rome to congratulate the Senate and the Roman generals on their victory over Perseus and the Illyrian king Genthios . The ancient representations informing about this can be divided into two groups, one of which goes back to the report of the Greek historian Polybius , while the second main report comes from the work Ab Urbe Condita by Titus Livius , who consulted works by Roman annalists that no longer exist today .

Polybios tells disapprovingly that Prusias II is said to have behaved extremely servile towards the Romans. For example, he described himself as their freedman and called the senators “gods of salvation”, which is why he was very well received. On the other hand, Polybius provides no description of the negotiations between Prusias II and the Romans. The detailed report of Livius first states that Prusias II traveled to Italy with his underage son Nicomedes and numerous entourage and was expected in Capua by the quaestor Lucius Cornelius Scipio. Scipio's task was to organize the care and supply of the king and his entourage during the four-week state visit. The entry of Prusias II into Rome turned out to be very solemn and he took two days to get to know the city better. Then he went to the senators and congratulated them on the prostration of Perseus, also pointing out the services he had rendered. He was allowed to offer victories on the Capitol and for Fortune in Praeneste and achieved that Rome reaffirmed the alliance with him. However, the Senate rejected his request to give him an area that Rome during the war against Antiochus III. fell, but was now occupied by the Galatians . Prusias II received rich gifts for his son; he didn't want to accept any for himself. Then he returned home with an honorable escort. The historian Christian Habicht considers this description of Livy of Prusias' stay in Rome to be credible; it does not contradict Polybios' presentation, but only reports from a different perspective.

156-154 BC BC Prusias II waged war against Attalus II and invaded the area of ​​Pergamon, but could not conquer this city and was ultimately forced to pay high reparations under the pressure of Rome . He was extremely unpopular with his subjects and tried to have his son Nicomedes, whom he had assigned Rome as his residence, to have killed so that his son from his second marriage could succeed him. However, Nicomedes was warned in good time, whereupon he used the support of King Attalus II to revolt against his father. Prusias II went to Nicomedia to offer resistance there and, when Nicomedes was allowed to enter the city, fled to a sanctuary of Zeus , where he was stoned on the orders of Nicomedes (149 BC).

literature

Web link

Remarks

  1. ↑ Polybios, Historíai 25, 2, 1 ff.
  2. ↑ Polybios, Historíai 30, 18; Diodor , Bibliothḗkē historikḗ 31, 15, 1-3; Appian , Mithridateios 4 f .; Cassius Dio , Roman History , Fragment 69; Plutarch , Moralia 336 DE; u .a.
  3. ↑ Livius, Ab urbe condita 45, 44, 4-20, who, after reproducing the Annalists, took the last two paragraphs of his report on Polybius; then shortened Valerius Maximus , Facta et dicta memorabilia 5, 1, 1e and Eutropius , Breviarium from urbe condita 4, 8, 4.
  4. ↑ Polybios, Historíai 30, 18.
  5. ↑ Livy, Ab urbe condita 45, 44, 4-19.
  6. ↑ Christian Habicht: Prusias 2. In: Paulys Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswwissenschaft (RE). Volume XXIII, 1, Stuttgart 1957, Col. 1112 f.
  7. ↑ Polybios, Historíai 33, 13.
  8. ↑ Appian, Mithridateios 9-23; Polybios, Historíai 36, 14; Diodor, Bibliothḗkē historikḗ 32, 19-21; Marcus Junianus Iustinus , Epitoma historiarum Philippicarum Pompei Trogi 34, 4, 1 ff .; among others
predecessor Office successor
Prusias I. King of Bithynia
182–149 BC Chr. 		Nicomedes II
personal data
SURNAME Prusias II
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Prusias II. Kynegos
BRIEF DESCRIPTION King of Bithynia
DATE OF BIRTH 3rd century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 149 BC Chr.