Prusias

Prusias is a dynastic name associated with rulers of the ancient kingdom of Bithynia in northwestern Asia Minor. The most prominent bearers are Prusias I Cholades and Prusias II, who ruled during the Hellenistic era and are known primarily from inscriptions and coinage.

Prusias I Cholades governed in the late 3rd to early 2nd century BCE. His reign saw efforts to extend Bithynian influence and to navigate the complex diplomacy and military rivalries of the region, including contacts with neighboring kingdoms such as Pergamon and Pontus, as well as the rising power of Rome in Asia Minor.

Prusias II ruled in the late 2nd to early 1st century BCE. His reign is documented largely through numismatic and epigraphic sources, reflecting continued interaction with Rome and other Hellenistic polities amid the Mithridatic era. The Prusias kings maintained the customary royal administration of Hellenistic monarchies, including urban development and a network of alliances.

Historically, Bithynia and its ruling dynasty came under increasing Roman influence as Rome expanded its presence in Asia Minor during the late Republic. The kingdom was gradually brought into the Roman orbit and was eventually reorganized as the Roman province of Bithynia et Pontus after 74 CE.

In modern scholarship, the Prusias are studied for their coinage, diplomacy, and urban development, which illustrate how Hellenistic kingdoms operated within the broader framework of Roman expansion in the eastern Mediterranean.