Prusias II of Bithynia
Prusias II "The Hunter" | |
---|---|
King of Bithynia | |
Reign | 182 - 149 BC |
Predecessor | Prusias I |
Successor | Nicomedes II |
Born |
c. 220 BC Bithynia |
Died |
149 BC (aged 71) Nicomedia |
Consort | Apame IV |
Issue |
|
Greek | Προυσίας |
Father | Prusias I |
Mother | Apama III |
Religion | Greek Polytheism |
Prusias II Cynegus (Greek: Προυσίας ὁ Κυνηγός; "the Hunter", lived c. 220 BC – 149 BC, reigned c. 182 BC – 149 BC) was the Greek king of Bithynia. He was the son and successor of Prusias I and Apama III.
Life
Prusias was born to Prusias I and Apama III in 220 BC. His father died in 189 BC,[1] at which point became the king of Bithynia. Prusias joined with the king of Pergamon, Eumenes II in a war against King Pharnaces I of Pontus (181–179 BC).[2] He later invaded the territories of Pergamon (156–154 BC), only to be defeated, and the Pergamenes insisted on heavy reparations, which included 500 talents and "twenty decked ships".[3] Prusias married his maternal cousin Apame IV, a sister of Perseus of Macedon and a princess from the Antigonid dynasty,[4] by whom he had a son called Nicomedes II and a daughter, also called Apama, who married Dyegilos,[5] son of Cotys IV, King of Thrace, and wife Semestra.
Prusias was praised by the Aetolians on account of his behavior and benefactions towards them.[6]
Towards the end of his life, Prusias II had children by a later wife, and wanted to make them his heirs in place of Nicomedes.[7] He sent Nicomedes to Rome to ask its help in reducing the amount of these reparations, and directed the co-ambassador, Menas, to kill Nicomedes if the mission was unsuccessful.[8] Despite the failure of the mission, Nicomedes persuaded Menas to betray Prusias, and Nicomedes declared himself king.[9] Prusias had to renounce the kingship in favor of his son and ended up being murdered himself instead in 149 BC.[10]
References
- ↑ Memnon. History of Heraclea Pontica.
- ↑ Oxford Reference.
- ↑ Appian. The Mithridatic Wars.
The ambassadors decided that as a penalty he must transfer to Attalus twenty decked ships at once, and pay him 500 talents of silver within a certain time.
- ↑ Appian. The Mithridatic Wars.
to whom Perseus, king of Macedonia, gave his sister in marriage
- ↑ Appian. The Mithridatic Wars.
his son-in-law, Diegylis the Thracian
- ↑ Sylloge Inscriptionum Graecarum: 632 Pontica.
The league of Aetolians honours king Prousias son of king Prousias on account of his virtue and his benefactions towards them.
- ↑ Appian. The Mithridatic Wars.
- ↑ Appian. The Mithridatic Wars.
He sent Menas as his fellow ambassador, and told him if he should secure a remission of the payments to spare Nicomedes, but if not, to kill him at Rome.
- ↑ Appian. The Mithridatic Wars.
- ↑ Appian. The Mithridatic Wars.
Prusias fled to the temple of Zeus, where he was stabbed by some of the emissaries of Nicomedes.
Preceded by Prusias I |
King of Bithynia 182 BC – 149 BC |
Succeeded by Nicomedes II |