614 
PER 
of Pontus, Bithynia, Cappadocia, and Paphlagonia; but 
managed matters fo ill, that he was entirely defeated and 
taken prifoner. Thofe who took him, defigned to carry 
him to Ariftonicus; but he, not able to endure the dis¬ 
grace, would have laid violent hands on himfelf if he had 
not been difarmed. However, being allowed to keep a 
rod for managing the horfe on which he fat, he ftruck a 
Thracian foldier who flood near him fo violently with it 
that he beat out one of his eyes; upon which the other 
drew his fword, and ran him through on the fpot. His 
bead was brought to Ariftonicus, who expofed it to pub¬ 
lic view'; but the body was honourably buried. 
Ariftonicus had not much time to enjoy the fruits of 
his victory. Indeed he behaved very improperly after 
it ; for, inftead of preparing to oppofe the next army, 
which he might have been aflured the Romans would fend 
againft him, he fpent his time in feafting and revelling. 
But he was foon roufed out of his lethargy by Perpenna 
the new conful, who, having aflembled with incredible 
expedition the troops of the allies, came unexpectedly 
upon him, obliged him to venture an engagement at a 
difadvantage, and entirely defeated him. Ariftonicus 
fled to a city called Stratonice; but was fo clofely purfued 
by the conqueror, that the garrifon, having no method of 
fupplying themfelves with provifions, delivered up their 
leader, as weli as a philofopher named Blofius, who had 
been the companion and counfellor of Ariftonicus. The 
philofopher behaved with great refolution after being 
taken, and openly defended his tiding with Ariftonicus, 
becaufe he thought his caufe juft. He exhorted the lat¬ 
ter to prevent the dilgrace and ntifery of captivity by a 
voluntary death; but Ariftonicus, looking upon death 
as a greater rnifery than any captivity, fuffered himfelf to 
be treated as his conquerors pleafed. 
In the mean time, a new conful, named Manlius Aqui¬ 
lius, being arrived front Rome, fent a moft haughty mef- 
lage to Perpenna, requiring him immediately to deliver up 
Ariftonicus, as a captive belonging to his triumph when 
the war fhould be ended. With this demand Perpenna 
refufed to comply, and his refufal had almoft produced a 
civil war. However, this w'as prevented by the death of 
Perpenna, which happened foon after the difpute commen¬ 
ced. The Pergamenians, notwithftanding the defeat and 
captivity of their leader, ftill held out with fuch obftinacy, 
that Aquilius was obliged to befiege, and take by force, 
almoft every city in the kingdom. In doing this, he 
took a very effectual, though exceeding cruel, method. 
Moft of the cities in the kingdom had no other water 
than what was brought from a confiderable diftance in 
aqueducts. Thefe Aquilius did not demolifh, but poi- 
loned the water, which produced the greateft abhorrence 
of him throughout all the eaft. At laft, however, the 
whole country being reduced, Aquilius triumphed, the 
unhappy Ariftonicus was led in chains before his chariot, 
and probably ended his miferable life in a dungeon. The 
country remained fubjeCl to the Romans while their em¬ 
pire lafted ; but is now in the hands of the Turks. 
The ancient City of Pergatnus had been enlarged and 
embelliflted by Eumenes II. He enriched it with a li¬ 
brary containing 200,000 choice volumes, for the tranf- 
cribing of which parchment was here firft invented, and 
thence called by the Latins C/iarta Pergumena. In Per- 
gamus were likewife invented thofecoftly hangings which 
we call tapejlry, and which the Romans named aulaea, 
from aula, a hall, becaufe the hall of Attains II. who 
invented them, was the firft room adorned with this fur¬ 
niture. Galen was born in this city. At Pergamus was 
one of the feven churches mentioned in the Revelation. 
Under the Romans the government of Pergamus was de¬ 
mocratic, conducted by a council appointed by the people, 
under the direction and fuperintendance of a magiftrate, 
who was prefident, and who was chofen annually. Pallas, 
Hercules, and Jupiter, were divinities held in great re- 
fpeCl at Pergamus; but the moft celebrated was Efcula- 
pius; and Apollo, who was regarded as his father, re- 
P E R 
ceived fingular honoufs at Pergamus. Trajan had di-* 
vine honours at Pergamus ; and both the gods and the 
emperors had temples here, the moft confiderable of which 
was that of Efculapius. The temple of Auguftus in this 
city was conllruCted at the expenfe of the province of 
Afia; the pagoda had eight columns, and is reprefented 
on many medals. This city celebrated, with a magnifi¬ 
cence that was very expenfive, the Olympic, Pythic, and 
ACfian, games, and alfo others in honour of Efculapius 
and the emperors. Thefe games were preceded by fo- 
lemn facrifices. The Nivephorium, or wood confecrated 
to Jupiter, was held in high veneration. This city accu¬ 
mulated great wealth by induftry, by the commerce of 
parchment, and by the fabric of (tuffs and tapeftry. It 
is now an inconfiderable place, thinly inhabited : but pre- 
ferves its names of Pergamus or Pergamo. In the neigh¬ 
bouring fields may ftill be found the ruins of the palace 
of the Attalic kings, an aqueduCl, and a theatre. 
A Chriftian church was very early planted at Pergamus; 
but they quickly degenerated from their purity, and to¬ 
lerated the Nicolaitans, and fuch as taught to commit 
fornication, and eat things facriflced to idols. For thefe 
things Jefus fharplv reproves them in a letter by John. 
It is hoped this miftive produced their reformation. (Rev. 
ii. 12-17.) For feven or eight hundred years the church 
here was of confiderable note; but at prefent the Chrif- 
tians are reduced to about 15 miferable families ; and the 
Turks are but about 2000 or 3000. 
PER'GASITE, j. The name given to a new mineral 
found at Erfby, near Abo, in Finland. The following 
imperfect account is the only one we have of itscharaCler: 
It has a green colour; its form is an oCtahedron, with a 
cleavage in three directions; it is harder than fluorfpar. 
The fpecific gravity is 3*11. Before the blow-pipe, it 
melts into a mafs with a pearly-white luftre. Its confti- 
tuetlt parts are given as under : 
Sile* ----- 
42*10 
Magnefia - - - - 
18*27 
Lime ----- 
14*28 
Alumine - - - - 
14*08 
Oxyd of Iron ... 
3*52 
-of Manganefe 
1*02 
■-- of an unknown metal 
°‘3 3 
Fluoric acid and water 
3*90 
Lofs ----- 
2*5 0 
100*00 
To PERGE, v. n. [from pergo, Lat. A vicious and 
pedantic fabrication, too near in found to purge, and not 
followed (to the beft of the compiler’s knowledge) by 
any other author. MaJ'on.~\ To go on.—Thou art a good 
Frank, if thou pergejl thus. Wilkins's Miferies of Inforced 
Marriage. 
PERG'KIRCHEN, a town of Auftria: eleven miles 
eaft of Steyregg. 
PER'GOLA, a town of the duchy of Urbino: eight 
miles eaft of Cagli. 
PER'GOLA, f. [Ital. from pergula, Lat.] A balcony, 
or gallery.—On Whitfun Tuefday beare-baiting being 
appointed for the king’s paftime at Whitehall, I the day 
before gave notice of it to the Venitian ambaffador 
(Alonfo Contareni) refident, and the next morning had 
his fervant fent to me to iignifie his defire to be prefent 
at it. This imparted to my lord-chamberlain, and by him 
to his majefty, he was ordained his Handing in thepe/’gofa 
of the banquetting-houfe, on the left hand of that ap¬ 
pointed for his majefty and the queen, with carpets to 
leane and tread on, and a ftool (no chaire) to fit on. Pi- 
nett’s Olf. on Ambafadors, 1656. 
PERGOLE'SI (Giovan Battifta), a celebrated mufician, 
born at Caforia, a little town about ten miles from Naples, 
in 1704. His friends difcovering, very early in his in¬ 
fancy, that he had a difpofition for mulic, placed him in 
the confervatorio at Naples, called Dei Poveri in Gielu 
Chrifto, 
3 
