BITHYNIA. 



547 



Bithyma. arms, he had recourse to tread cry, and, inviting the 

 ^ v ' nobles of Galatia to a splendid entertainment, he pre- 

 pared a band of . iffians to assassinate his guests ; but 

 the Galatians received private intelligence of his de- 

 sign, and murdered him at the beginning of the en- 

 tertainment. 

 Prusias II. Though his son Prusias II. was successful in the 

 wars which he waged against the Byzantines and the 

 Galatians, yet he acquired a more distinguished re- 

 nown when he invaded Pergamus, assisted by the 

 wisdom and valour of Hannibal. That consummate 

 general, forced by the ingratitude of his country to 

 seek an asylum in a foreign land, arrived at last at the 

 Bithynian court ; and such was the influence, which 

 his transcendent genius acquired over the mind of 

 Prusias, that at his solicitation, he renounced the 

 friendship of .the Romans, and declared war against 

 Eumenes, who was under their protection. But Eu- 

 menes, depending upon the aid of the Romans, though 

 still more upon the energy of ban own mind, defeated 

 his forces both by sea and land, and reduced him to 

 such distress that lie was ready to accept of peace. 

 But the restless mind of Hannibal, ever fruitful in re- 

 sources, informed that Philip king of Macedon was 

 enraged against Rome and Pergamus, endeavoured to 

 wield the resentment of that monarch to accomplish 

 his own revenge, and persuaded him to join his army 

 to that of Prusias. Prusias renewed the war, and 

 employing various stratagems invented by Hanni- 

 bal, saw his arms crowned with the most brilliant 

 success. But the Romans, trembling for the fate of 

 Eumenes, sent ambassadors to mediate a peace be- 

 tween the contending princes, and to induce Prusias 

 to deliver Hannibal into their hands. The glory which 

 Prusias had gained on the field of battle, was tarnish- 

 ed by his ingratitude to that illustrious hero, whom, 

 as the price of Roman friendship, he abandoned to his 

 implacable enemies. Indignant at the treachery of 

 Prusias, Hannibal deserted a court that was unwor- 

 thy of his presence, and retiring to Libyssa, put an 

 end to his life. 



Prusias now became the slave of the Romans, join- 

 ed them against the Macedonians, and went to Italy 

 to congratulate them upon this success. But before 

 he entered Rome, he laid aside the ensigns of royalty, 

 and, in the dress appropriated to slaves when they 

 receive their freedom, was introduced into the senate. 

 His meanness and servility sealed the degradation of 

 his own mind, but could not be grateful to that ve- 

 nerable assembly, nor reflect glory upon the majesty 

 of the Roman name. He returned home ; but the 

 historic muse would blush to describe his conduct 

 afterwards, in which, without the semblance of one 

 virtue, was exhibited every vice which could entail 

 misery upon his subjects, or infamy upon himself. 

 But the memory of his past achievements made him 

 still formidable to his neighbours ; and when he heard 

 that Attalus had succeeded his brother Eumenes, he 

 again invaded Pergamus, entered the capital of that 

 kingdom, and exercised the most unrelenting cruelty 

 during the space of three years. At the end of that 

 period' ambassadors from Rome arrived to reconcile 

 the hostile princes, and a conference was agreed to, 

 upon the confines of the two kingdoms. But Prusias, 

 following his dark policy, endeavoured with his army 



to cut off Attalus and the ambassadors, who were re- Bithynia. 

 pairing to the place appointed, but his design was dis- "*"*"" v~ ' 

 covered, and they escaped by flight. The senate 

 threatened vengeance, but Prusias would have des- 

 pised threatenings, if he had not been informed that 

 Athenaeus, the brother of Attalus, with a powerful 

 fleet, was spreading devastation along the Bithynian 

 coast, and that Attalus himself had raised anotherfor- 

 midable army. Peace therefore was at last obtained, 

 and Prusias sent his son Nieomedes to Rome, either 

 to complete his education, or to procure from the 

 senate a remission of some disagreeable articles of the 

 treaty. But Nieomedes no sooner gained the friend- 

 ship of the Romans, than the suspicious mind of 

 Prusias became jealous of his designs. Prusias im- 

 mediately sent Menas, one of his favourites, to Rome, 

 as his ambassador, but with the private design of 

 cutting off Nieomedes. Whether fear or remorse ani- 

 mated the mind of Menas, we are uncertain, but he 

 revealed the unnatural design to the son ; and the 

 danger to which, from that moment, both were ex- 

 posed, incited them to secure themselves by the death 

 of Prusias. Nieomedes set sail for Pergamus, pro- 

 cured the assistance of Attalus, invaded the territo- 

 ries of his father, and was every where received as the 

 deliverer of his country. Not daring to trust the few 

 Bithynians who still remained with him, Prusias fled 

 from city to city, in the fond expectation that am- 

 bassadors would arrive from Rome to adjust the dif- 

 ferences between him and his son. Ambassadors did 

 arrive, but they were men who could form no deci- 

 sive measures, nor give them efficacy if formed, and 

 proved that the Romans could sport with the feelings 

 of a prince, who had taught them to despise him. 

 Nieomedes and Attalus advanced to Nicomedia, where 

 Prusias had shut himself up ; the gates were imme- 

 diately thrown open by the revolting inhabitants ; 

 and in the temple of Jupiter, whose sanctity could 

 afford him no protection, the father fell by the hand 

 of his son. 



Nieomedes II. ascended the throne, but not to re- Nicoraede* 

 alise the hopes of his country. Though he assumed II. 

 the name of Epiplianes, or the Illustrious, yet the > 



only action which he performed, during a reign of 

 12 years, to vindicate his claim to that lofty appella- 

 tion, was the murder of his brothers. He died a vio- 

 lent death ; but that it was inflicted by his son appears 

 to be a conjecture originating in that love of retribu- 

 tive justice which is natural to man. His son, Nico- Nieomedc; 

 medes III. overran Paphlagonia, invaded Cappadocia, '" 

 expelled Ariarathes, and to secure the kingdom to 

 himself, married the mother of that prince. But Aria- 

 rathes procured the assistance of Mithridates the 

 Great, who not only drove Nieomedes from that king- 

 dom, but expelled him from his own dominions. Be- 

 ing restored by the Romans, in an ill-fated hour he in- 

 vaded the kingdom of Mithridates, and that high- 

 spirited prince met him on the banks of the Amnius, 

 dissipated his forces with dreadful slaughter, and again 

 forced him into exile. The Romans again seated him 

 on the throne, but dying soon alter, he left his domi- 

 nions to his son Nieomedes IV., whose name can only Nicomcde" 

 claim a place in the page of history as the last of the IV. 

 Bithynian kings. As he had no son, he left his king- 

 dom to the Romans. A daughter, named Musa, 



