Prusias II Cynegus (Greek: Προυσίας ὁ Κυνηγός; "the Hunter", 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.
| Prusias II "The Hunter" | |
|---|---|
 Prusias II, depicted on ancient Greek coins in the Altes Museum Berlin | |
| King of Bithynia | |
| Reign | 182 – 149 BC |
| Predecessor | Prusias I |
| Successor | Nicomedes II |
| Born | c. 220 BC Bithynia (modern-day Turkey) |
| Died | 149 BC (aged 71) Nicomedia (modern-day İzmit, Kocaeli, Turkey) |
| Consort | Apame IV |
| Issue |
|
| Greek | Προυσίας |
| Father | Prusias I |
| Mother | Apama III |
| Religion | Greek Polytheism |
Life
editPrusias was born to Prusias I and Apama III in 220 BC. His father died in 189 BC,[1] at which point he became the king of Bithynia. Prusias II 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, with Pergamon insisting on heavy reparations, including 500 talents and "twenty decked ships".[3]
Prusias II 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, Nicomedes II, and a daughter, Apama, who would marry Dyegilos,[5] son of Cotys IV, King of Thrace, and his wife, Semestra.
Prusias II was honoured by the Aetolian League with a stele at Delphi 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 favour of his son and was himself murdered in 149 BC.[10]
References
edit- ^ 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.
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