Pergamon (Pergamum)
Pergamon (Greek: Πέργαμος; Latin: Pergamum) was a city in the region of Mysia in Asia Minor.[1] The name Pergamon is thought to derive from the Greek word πύργος (pyrgos), meaning “tower” or “fortress.”[2] It later became the capital of the Roman province of Asia and was home to one of the seven churches addressed in the book of Revelation in the New Testament. Today the site corresponds to modern Bergama in western Türkiye.
Features
Geography
Pergamon was situated about 80 kilometers north of Smyrna and 25.6 kilometers inland from the Aegean Sea. On a hill rising 300 meters, royal palaces and fortresses were constructed, while the settlement of the common people extended along the slopes and the plain below.[3]
History
Pergamon existed from around the 5th century BC. It rose to prominence in the Hellenistic period after the Attalid dynasty established its royal palace there.[4] Around the 3rd century BC, Attalos I (Greek: Ἄτταλος Αʹ, Latin: Attalos I, 269–197 BC, reigned 241–197 BC) made Pergamon the capital of his kingdom. His successor Eumenes II further developed the city, constructing many public buildings and advancing culture. Later, Attalos III (170?–133 BC, reigned 138–133 B.C.) bequeathed his kingdom to Rome, and Pergamon became the capital of the Roman province of Asia.
Culture
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Pergamon was regarded as one of the finest examples of urban planning in the Hellenistic period. Its temples and gardens were adorned with art, and monumental structures rose throughout the city. Pergamon boasted a library second in prestige only to the Library of Alexandria, an open-air theater capable of seating thousands, an amphitheater, a stadium, and the largest general hospital in Asia Minor. Because of its remarkably preserved ruins and cultural landscape, Pergamon was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014.[5]
The city was also renowned as a major center for the production of parchment—treated animal skin used for writing.[6] The English word parchment derives from Greek pergamene (περγαμηνή), Latin pergamenum, and French parchemin, all ultimately rooted in the name Pergamon.
Religion
Around 29 BC, the first temple dedicated to the Roman Empire and to Caesar Augustus (Julius Caesar Augustus, 63 BC–AD 14) was built in Pergamon.
Later, additional temples were erected in honor of emperors such as Trajan (Marcus Ulpius Trajanus, AD 53?–117; reigned 98–117) and Caligula (AD 12–41; reigned 37–41). Temples devoted to Greek deities—including Zeus, Hera, Athena, Dionysus, and Demeter—were also constructed.[7] Over time, Pergamon developed into a major center of emperor worship, and idolatry became widespread throughout the city.
Pergamon in the Bible
Pergamon was the location of one of the seven churches of Asia mentioned in the early Christian era.
“Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.”
Jesus Christ said that although the church in Pergamon was located “where Satan has his throne,” it had not renounced its faith. He commended Antipas, a martyr from Pergamon, calling him “my faithful witness.”[8] Yet the church also received a rebuke. Just as Balaam led Israel into eating food sacrificed to idols and committing immorality, some within the church of Pergamon held to the teachings of the Nicolaitans. For this reason, Jesus urged the church to repent.[9]
See also
References
- ↑ Pergamum, EBSCO, 2023
- ↑ Strong's Greek: 4444. πύργος, Bible Hub
- ↑ Pergamum, Britannica
- ↑ The Attalid dynasty was a Hellenistic ruling family that governed the Kingdom of Pergamon after the death of Lysimachus, one of Alexander the Great’s generals.
- ↑ Asene Asanova, World heritage in Turkey: Pergamon, living proof of ancient Romans, Seljuks and Ottomans, Daily Sabah, June 5, 2020
- ↑ How papermaking crossed the Alps, The Renaissance Mathematicus, January 6, 2016
- ↑ Pergamum, Drive Thru History, December 26, 2018
- ↑ "Revelation 2:12–13".
- ↑ "Revelation 2:14–16".