Pergamons

Pergamons refers to the inhabitants, culture, and material legacy associated with the ancient city of Pergamon, in western Anatolia (present-day Bergama, Izmir Province, Turkey). The city flourished as the capital of the Attalid kingdom from about 281 to 133 BCE, becoming a major center of Hellenistic culture, architecture, and scholarship. Pergamon housed a renowned library, rivaling the Library of Alexandria in fame and scope, and developed notable public monuments, including the Great Altar of Pergamon, a monumental frieze commemorating the victory of the gods over the giants. The city also minted coins and supported a vibrant theater and temple complexes. The Pergamene style, particularly in sculpture, is characterized by dramatic movement and expressive drapery, influencing late Hellenistic art.

Under Roman rule after 129 BCE, Pergamon remained influential for some time but gradually declined in late antiquity. The site was abandoned and plundered in later centuries. Today, Pergamon is an archaeological site near Bergama, attracting scholars and visitors interested in Hellenistic and Roman-period culture. The city’s legacy survives in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, which houses the Great Altar and other fragments, and in modern scholarship that references Pergamons as both residents and artifacts associated with Pergamon. The term continues to be used in discussions of ancient libraries, art, and urban planning in the Hellenistic world.