Attalus I (
Greek ?tta???), surnamed
Soter (
Greek S?t??, "Savior"; 269&_160;BC – 197&_160;BC)
[1] ruled
Pergamon, an Ionian Greek
polis (what is now
Bergama,
Turkey), first as
dynast, later as king, from 241&_160;BC to 197&_160;BC. He was the second cousin and the adoptive son of
Eumenes I,
[2] whom he succeeded, and was the first of the
Attalid dynasty to assume the title of king in 238&_160;BC.
[3] He was the son of Attalus and his wife Antiochis.
Attalus won an important victory over the Galatians, newly arrived Celtic tribes from Thrace, who had been, for more than a generation, plundering and exacting tribute throughout most of Asia Minor without any serious check. This victory, celebrated by the triumphal monument at Pergamon (famous for its Dying Gaul) and the liberation from the Gallic "terror" which it represented, earned for Attalus the name of "Soter", and the title of "king". A courageous and capable general and loyal ally of Rome, he played a significant role in the first and second Macedonian Wars, waged against Philip V of Macedon. He conducted numerous naval operations, harassing Macedonian interests throughout the Aegean, winning honors, collecting spoils, and gaining for Pergamon possession of the Greek islands of Aegina during the first war, and Andros during the second, twice narrowly escaping capture at the hands of Philip.
Attalus was a protector of the Greek cities of Anatolia[4] and viewed himself as the champion of Greeks against barbarians.[5] During his reign he established Pergamon as a considerable power in the Greek East.[6] He died in 197&_160;BC, shortly before the end of the second war, at the age of 72, having suffered an apparent stroke while addressing a Boeotian war council some months before. He enjoyed a famously happy domestic life, shared with his wife and four sons. He was succeeded as king by his son Eumenes II.
Little is known about Attalus' early life. He was born a Greek,[7] the son of Attalus, and Antiochis.[8] The elder Attalus was the son of a brother (also called Attalus) of both Philetaerus, the founder of the Attalid dynasty, and Eumenes, the father of Eumenes I, Philetaerus' successor; he is mentioned, along with his uncles, as a benefactor of Delphi.[9] and won fame as a charioteer, winning at Olympia, and was honored with a monument at Pergamon.[10]
