Stratonice of Pergamon
Encyclopedia
For other persons with the same name, see Stratonice
Stratonice (flourished 2nd century BC) was a Princess from Anatolia
and through marriage was a Queen of Pergamon
.
and Persian ancestry
. She was the first child born to the King Ariarathes IV of Cappadocia
and Queen Antiochis
. Her younger brothers were Ariarathes V of Cappadocia
and Orophernes of Cappadocia
. Her paternal grandparents were King Ariarathes III of Cappadocia
and Queen Stratonice of Cappadocia
, while her maternal grandparents were the Seleucid Monarchs
Antiochus III the Great
and Laodice III
. She was born and raised in Cappadocia
.
In 188 BC, Cappadocia was accepted as a Roman
ally. Later that year, Stratonice married the Greek King Eumenes II
of Pergamon, based on an arrangement between her father and Eumenes II. The Kingdom of the Pergamon, like Cappadocia were allies to Rome. Eumenes II and Stratonice were distantly related as they were direct descendants of Seleucus I Nicator
.
Eumenes II visited Rome in 172 BC. During his visit, Eumenes II was being hostile to the King Perseus of Macedon
. He informed the Roman Senate
about Perseus’ presumed plans to gain influence in Greece. On his return to Pergamon, Eumenes II was attacked near Cirrha and was believed to have died. Eumenes's brother, Attalus II Philadelphus
became king and married Stratonice. When Eumenes II returned, his brother ceded power and Stratonice returned to Eumenes II.
Before 159 BC, Stratonice dedicated a statue of the goddess Athena
in the library of Pergamon. In 159 BC, Eumenes II died. His brother, Attalus II Philadelphus
succeeded him and remarried Stratonice. Eumenes II had children from a prior marriage and among them was his son Attalus III
.
Attalus III was too young to reign as King. Attalus II acted as a regent for Attalus III and Stratonice adopted her step son as her own. Attalus III accepted the honorific title Philometor, which means Mother Loving. Attalus II appointed his nephew/step son as his successor. In 153 BC, the succession was confirmed by the Roman Senate. Stratonice and Attalus III had a very close relationship. During her reign with her second husband, her brother Ariarathes V of Cappadocia
, was brought to their kingdom, because her other brother Orophernes of Cappadocia
became King and Orophernes was supported by their first cousin the Seleucid King Demetrius I Soter
. In 138 BC, Attalus II died and Attalus III succeeded as King. Stratonice died about 135 BC. It is possible that Attalus III poisoned her.
During her reign as Queen of Pergamon, two statues were dedicated to Stratonice. One was set up at Pergamon and the other on the Greek island of Delos
. The Pergamene statue was dedicated by Attalus III. Most probably due to her family’s connections in Athens
, the Demos
of Athens honored Stratonice with a marble statue of herself on Delos. The Greek sculptor Damophon
sculpted her statue free of charge.
Both statues accompany inscriptions only state Stratonice as the daughter of Ariarathes IV. Her Delian statue states on a bronze plaque her virtue and goodwill toward it. Both statues of Stratonice present her as at the time the current Queen Pergamon and of the Attalid Dynasty. These two statues represented her political role in Pergamon and she was recognized at large by the Greeks.
Stratonice
Stratonice is a name that may refer to:* Stratonice , name of four Greek mythological women- Women of Ancient Macedonia :* Stratonice , the wife of Antigonus Monophthalmus...
Stratonice (flourished 2nd century BC) was a Princess from Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
and through marriage was a Queen of Pergamon
Pergamon
Pergamon , or Pergamum, was an ancient Greek city in modern-day Turkey, in Mysia, today located from the Aegean Sea on a promontory on the north side of the river Caicus , that became the capital of the Kingdom of Pergamon during the Hellenistic period, under the Attalid dynasty, 281–133 BC...
.
Life
Stratonice was of Greek MacedonianMacedonia (Greece)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of Greece in Southern Europe. Macedonia is the largest and second most populous Greek region...
and Persian ancestry
Persian people
The Persian people are part of the Iranian peoples who speak the modern Persian language and closely akin Iranian dialects and languages. The origin of the ethnic Iranian/Persian peoples are traced to the Ancient Iranian peoples, who were part of the ancient Indo-Iranians and themselves part of...
. She was the first child born to the King Ariarathes IV of Cappadocia
Ariarathes IV of Cappadocia
Ariarathes IV Eusebes , son of the king of Cappadocia Ariarathes III and Stratonice. He was a child at his accession, and reigned 220—163 BC, about 57 years. He married Antiochis, the daughter of Antiochus III the Great, king of Syria, and wife Laodice III, and, in consequence of this alliance,...
and Queen Antiochis
Antiochis
The name Antiochis, in Greek Ἀντιoχίς is the female name of Antiochus. Antiochis in Greek antiquity may refer to:-Hellenistic queens consort:*Antiochis, daughter of Achaeus, married to Attalus, and the mother of Attalus I, king of Pergamon...
. Her younger brothers were Ariarathes V of Cappadocia
Ariarathes V of Cappadocia
Ariarathes V Eusebes Philopator was son of the preceding king Ariarathes IV of Cappadocia and Antiochis. Previously called Mithridates, he reigned 33 years, 163–130 BC, as king of Cappadocia. He was distinguished by the excellence of his character and his cultivation of philosophy and the liberal...
and Orophernes of Cappadocia
Orophernes of Cappadocia
Orophernes Nicephorus was one of the two false sons whom Antiochis imposed upon her husband, Ariarathes IV, king of Cappadocia. On the birth, however, of a real son, named Mithradates , Orophernes, so that he might not set up pretensions to the throne, was sent away into Ionia...
. Her paternal grandparents were King Ariarathes III of Cappadocia
Ariarathes III of Cappadocia
Ariarathes III , son of Ariamnes, ruler of Cappadocia, and grandson of Ariarathes II, married Stratonice, a daughter of Antiochus II, king of Syria and wife Laodice I, and obtained a share in the government during the life-time of his father. About 250 BC he was the first ruler of Cappadocia to...
and Queen Stratonice of Cappadocia
Stratonice of Cappadocia
For other persons with the same name, see StratoniceStratonice was a Syrian Greek Princess of the Seleucid Empire. Stratonice was of Greek Macedonian and Persian descent. She was one of the daughters born to the Seleucid Monarchs Antiochus II Theos and Laodice I...
, while her maternal grandparents were the Seleucid Monarchs
Seleucid Empire
The Seleucid Empire was a Greek-Macedonian state that was created out of the eastern conquests of Alexander the Great. At the height of its power, it included central Anatolia, the Levant, Mesopotamia, Persia, today's Turkmenistan, Pamir and parts of Pakistan.The Seleucid Empire was a major centre...
Antiochus III the Great
Antiochus III the Great
Antiochus III the Great Seleucid Greek king who became the 6th ruler of the Seleucid Empire as a youth of about eighteen in 223 BC. Antiochus was an ambitious ruler who ruled over Greater Syria and western Asia towards the end of the 3rd century BC...
and Laodice III
Laodice III
Laodice III , was a Princess of Pontus and a daughter born to King Mithridates II of Pontus and his wife Laodice. Her sister was Laodice of Pontus and her brother was Mithridates III of Pontus....
. She was born and raised in Cappadocia
Cappadocia
Cappadocia is a historical region in Central Anatolia, largely in Nevşehir Province.In the time of Herodotus, the Cappadocians were reported as occupying the whole region from Mount Taurus to the vicinity of the Euxine...
.
In 188 BC, Cappadocia was accepted as a Roman
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
ally. Later that year, Stratonice married the Greek King Eumenes II
Eumenes II
Eumenes II of Pergamon was king of Pergamon and a member of the Attalid dynasty. The son of king Attalus I and queen Apollonis, he followed in his father's footsteps and collaborated with the Romans to oppose first Macedonian, then Seleucid expansion towards the Aegean, leading to the defeat of...
of Pergamon, based on an arrangement between her father and Eumenes II. The Kingdom of the Pergamon, like Cappadocia were allies to Rome. Eumenes II and Stratonice were distantly related as they were direct descendants of Seleucus I Nicator
Seleucus I Nicator
Seleucus I was a Macedonian officer of Alexander the Great and one of the Diadochi. In the Wars of the Diadochi that took place after Alexander's death, Seleucus established the Seleucid dynasty and the Seleucid Empire...
.
Eumenes II visited Rome in 172 BC. During his visit, Eumenes II was being hostile to the King Perseus of Macedon
Perseus of Macedon
Perseus was the last king of the Antigonid dynasty, who ruled the successor state in Macedon created upon the death of Alexander the Great...
. He informed the Roman Senate
Roman Senate
The Senate of the Roman Republic was a political institution in the ancient Roman Republic, however, it was not an elected body, but one whose members were appointed by the consuls, and later by the censors. After a magistrate served his term in office, it usually was followed with automatic...
about Perseus’ presumed plans to gain influence in Greece. On his return to Pergamon, Eumenes II was attacked near Cirrha and was believed to have died. Eumenes's brother, Attalus II Philadelphus
Attalus II Philadelphus
Attalus II Philadelphus was a King of Pergamon and the founder of modern-day Turkish city Antalya...
became king and married Stratonice. When Eumenes II returned, his brother ceded power and Stratonice returned to Eumenes II.
Before 159 BC, Stratonice dedicated a statue of the goddess Athena
Athena
In Greek mythology, Athena, Athenê, or Athene , also referred to as Pallas Athena/Athene , is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, warfare, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, justice, and skill. Minerva, Athena's Roman incarnation, embodies similar attributes. Athena is...
in the library of Pergamon. In 159 BC, Eumenes II died. His brother, Attalus II Philadelphus
Attalus II Philadelphus
Attalus II Philadelphus was a King of Pergamon and the founder of modern-day Turkish city Antalya...
succeeded him and remarried Stratonice. Eumenes II had children from a prior marriage and among them was his son Attalus III
Attalus III
Attalus III Philometor Euergetes was the last Attalid king of Pergamon, ruling from 138 BC to 133 BC....
.
Attalus III was too young to reign as King. Attalus II acted as a regent for Attalus III and Stratonice adopted her step son as her own. Attalus III accepted the honorific title Philometor, which means Mother Loving. Attalus II appointed his nephew/step son as his successor. In 153 BC, the succession was confirmed by the Roman Senate. Stratonice and Attalus III had a very close relationship. During her reign with her second husband, her brother Ariarathes V of Cappadocia
Ariarathes V of Cappadocia
Ariarathes V Eusebes Philopator was son of the preceding king Ariarathes IV of Cappadocia and Antiochis. Previously called Mithridates, he reigned 33 years, 163–130 BC, as king of Cappadocia. He was distinguished by the excellence of his character and his cultivation of philosophy and the liberal...
, was brought to their kingdom, because her other brother Orophernes of Cappadocia
Orophernes of Cappadocia
Orophernes Nicephorus was one of the two false sons whom Antiochis imposed upon her husband, Ariarathes IV, king of Cappadocia. On the birth, however, of a real son, named Mithradates , Orophernes, so that he might not set up pretensions to the throne, was sent away into Ionia...
became King and Orophernes was supported by their first cousin the Seleucid King Demetrius I Soter
Demetrius I Soter
Demetrius I , surnamed Soter , was a ruler of the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire....
. In 138 BC, Attalus II died and Attalus III succeeded as King. Stratonice died about 135 BC. It is possible that Attalus III poisoned her.
During her reign as Queen of Pergamon, two statues were dedicated to Stratonice. One was set up at Pergamon and the other on the Greek island of Delos
Delos
The island of Delos , isolated in the centre of the roughly circular ring of islands called the Cyclades, near Mykonos, is one of the most important mythological, historical and archaeological sites in Greece...
. The Pergamene statue was dedicated by Attalus III. Most probably due to her family’s connections in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, the Demos
Demos
Demos may refer to:* Demos, a rhetorical term for the population of an ancient Greek state** Deme or Demoi, the term for an ancient subdivision of Attica, Greece...
of Athens honored Stratonice with a marble statue of herself on Delos. The Greek sculptor Damophon
Damophon
Damophon was an ancient Greek sculptor of the Hellenistic period from Messene, who executed many statues for the people of Messene, Megalopolis, Aegium and other cities of Peloponnesus. His statues were acroliths...
sculpted her statue free of charge.
Both statues accompany inscriptions only state Stratonice as the daughter of Ariarathes IV. Her Delian statue states on a bronze plaque her virtue and goodwill toward it. Both statues of Stratonice present her as at the time the current Queen Pergamon and of the Attalid Dynasty. These two statues represented her political role in Pergamon and she was recognized at large by the Greeks.
Sources
- C. Knight, Penny cyclopaedia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, Volumes 3-4, Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge (Great Britain), 1835
- P. Cartledge, P. Garnsey & E.S. Gruen, Hellenistic constructs: essays in culture, history and historiography, University of California Press, 1997
- J.B. Lin Foxhall, When men were men: masculinity, power and identity in classical antiquity, Routledge, 1998
- O. Palagia & J.J. Pollitt, Personal Styles in Greek Sculpture, Cambridge University Press, 1999
- http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/secondary/journals/AJA/38/1/Athena_Parthenos*.html
- http://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft267nb1f9&chunk.id=s2.7.6&toc.id=s1.7.49&brand=eschol