012 
PERGAMUS, 
liorfe. In confequence of this defeat, Antiochus was 
obliged to conclude a peace with the Romans on fuch 
terms as they pleafed to prefcribe; one of which was, 
that he (hould pay Eumenes 400 talents, and a quantity of 
corn, in recompence for the damage he had done him. 
Eumenes now thought of obtaining fome reward from 
the Romans equivalent to the fervices he had done them. 
Having gone to Rome, he told the fenate, that he was 
come to beg of them that the Greek cities which had be¬ 
longed to Antiochus before the commencement of the 
late war might now be added to his dominions; but his 
demand was warmly oppofed by the ambaffadors from 
Rhodes, as well as by deputies from all the Greek cities 
in Afia. The fenate, however, after hearing both parties, 
decided the matter in favour of Eumenes adding to his 
dominions all the countries on this fide of Mount Taurus 
which belonged to Antiochus; the other provinces lying 
between that mountain and the river Maeander, excepting 
Lycia and Caria, were bellowed on the Rhodians. All 
the cities, which had paid tribute to Attalus, were ordered 
to pay the fame to Eumenes; but fuch as had been tribu¬ 
tary to Antiochus were declared free. 
Soon after this, Eumenes was engaged in a war with 
Prufias king of Bithynia, who made war upon him by the 
advice of Hannibal the celebrated Carthaginian general. 
But Eumenes, being affifted by the Romans, defeated 
Prulias in an engagement by fea, and another by land; 
which fo dilheartened him, that he was ready to accept 
of peace on any terms. However, before the treaty was 
concluded, Hannibal found means to draw Philip ofMa- 
cedon into the confederacy, who fent Philocles, an old 
and experienced officer, with a confiderable body of troops, 
to join Prulias. Hereupon Eumenes fent his brother At¬ 
talus to Rome with a golden crown, worth 15,000 talents, 
to complain of Prufias for making war on the allies of 
the Roman people without any provocation. The fe¬ 
nate accepted the prefent, and promifed to adjuft every¬ 
thing to the fatisfa&ion of their friend Eumenes, whom 
they looked upon to be the mod Iteady ally they had in 
Afia. But in the mean time Prufias, having ventured 
another fea-fight, by a contrivance of Hannibal’s, gained a 
complete victory. The Carthaginian commander advifed 
him to fill a great many-earthen veffels with various 
kinds of ferpents and other poifonous reptiles, and in 
the heat of the fight to throw them into the enemy’s 
ihips, fo as to break the pots and let the ferpents loofe. 
All the foldiers and feamen were commanded to attack 
the fhip in which Eumenes was, and only to defend 
themfelves as well as they could againd the reft; and, 
that they might be in no danger of miftaking the fhip, a 
herald was fent before the engagement with a letter to 
the king. As foon as the two fleets drew near, all the 
fhips of Prufias, Angling out that of Eumenes, difcharged 
fuch a quantity of ferpents into it, that neither foldiers 
nor failors could do their duty, but were forced to fly to 
the (hore, left: they ftiould fall into the enemy’s hands. 
The other (hips, after a faint refiftance, followed the king’s 
example, and were all driven afhore with great (laughter, 
the foldiers being no lefs annoyed by the ferpents than 
by the weapons of the enemy. The greater part of the 
(hips of Eumenes were burnt, feveral taken, and the others 
fo much (battered that they became quite unferviceable. 
The fame year Prufias gained two remarkable victories 
over Eumenes by land, both of which were entirely owing 
to ftratagems of Hannibal. But, while matters were thus 
going on to the difadvantage of Eumenes, the Romans 
interfered, and by their deputies not only put an end to 
the differences between the two kings, but prevailed on 
Prufias to betray Hannibal; upon which he poifoned 
himfelf, as hath been related under the article Hannibal. 
Eumenes, being thus freed from fuch a dangerous 
enemy, engaged in a new war with the kings of Cappa¬ 
docia and Pontus, in which alfo he proved victorious. 
His friendffiip for the Romans he carried to fuch a degree 
of enthufiafm, that he went in perfon to Rome to inform 
them of the machinations of Perfes king of Macedon. 
He had before quarrelled with the Rhodians, who fent 
ambaffadors to Rome to complain of him. But, as the 
ambaffadors happened to arrive while the king himfelf 
was prefent in the city, the Rhodian ambaffadors couid 
not obtain a hearing, and Eumenes was difmiffed with 
new marks of favour. This journey, however, had al- 
moll proved fatal to him ; for, on his return, as he was 
going to perform a facrifice at Delphi, two affaffins, fent 
by Perfes, rolled down two great (tones upon him as he 
entered the (traits of the mountains. With one he was 
dangeroufly wounded on the head, and with the other on 
the Ihoulder. He fell with the blows from a deep place, 
and thus received many other bruifes ; fo that he was 
carried on-board his (hip when it could not well be 
known whether he was dead or alive. His people, how¬ 
ever, foon finding that he was (till aliv-e, conveyed him 
to Corinth, and from Corinth to Asgina, having caufed 
their veffels to be carried over the ifthmus. He 
remained at Asgina till his wounds were cured, 
which was done with fuch fecrecy, that a report of his 
death was fpread all over Afia, and even believed at 
Rome ; nay, his brother Attalus was fo convinced of the 
truth of this report, that he not only affumed the go¬ 
vernment, but even married Stratonice the wife of Eume¬ 
nes. But in a (hort time Eumenes convinced them both 
of his being alive, by returning to his kingdom. On the 
receipt of this news, Attalus refigned the fovereignty in 
great hade, and went to meet his brother; carrying a 
halberd, as one of his guards. Eumenes received both 
him and the queen with great tendernefs, nor did he 
ever fay any thing which might tend to make them un- 
eafy; only he whifpered in his brother’s ear when hefird 
faw him, “Be in no hade to marry my wife again till 
you are fure that I am dead.” 
Eumenes, being now more than ever exafperated 
againd Perfes, joined the Romans in their war againd 
him ; but during the courfe of it he fuddenly cooled in 
his affeftion towards thofe allies whom he had hitherto 
ferved with fo much zeal, and that to fuch a degree, that 
he admitted ambaffadors from Perfes, and oftered to 
dand neuter if he would pay him 1000 talents, and, for 
1500, to influence the Romans to grant him a fafe and 
honourable peace. But thefe negotiations were broke 
oft’ without effect, by reafon of the diflrud which the two 
kings had of one another. Eumenes could not trud 
Perfes unlefs he paid him the money beforehand ; while, 
on the other hand, Perfes did not care to part with the 
money before Eumenes had performed what he promifed. 
Neither could he be induced to pay the fum in quedion, 
though the king of Pergamus offered to give hoftages for 
the performance of his promife. What the reafon of fuch 
a fudden change in the difpofition of Eumenes was, is 
no-where told ; however, the faft is certain. The nego¬ 
tiations above mentioned were concealed from the Ro¬ 
mans as long as poffible; but they at length became 
known ; after which the republic began to entertain no 
fmall jealoufly of their old friend, and therefore heaped 
favours on his brother Attalus, without taking any no¬ 
tice of the king himfelf. Eumenes had fent him to Rome 
to congratulate the fenate on the happy iffue of the war 
with Perfes, not thinking that his practices had been 
difcovered. However, the fenate, without taking any no¬ 
tice of their difaffe£lion to Eumenes at fird, entertained 
Attalus with the greated magnificence ; and feveral of 
the fenators who vifited him proceeded to acquaint him 
with their fufpicions of the king, and defired Attalus to 
treat with them in his own name, afluring him, that the 
kingdom of Pergamus would be granted him, if he de¬ 
manded it, by the fenate. Thele fpeeches had at fird 
fomeeffefl:; but Attalus, being of an honed difpofition, 
and affifted by the advice of a phyfician called Stratius, a 
man of great probity, refolved not to comply with their 
defire. When he was admitted to the fenate, therefore, 
he fird congratulated them on the happy iffue of the Ma¬ 
cedonian 
