Ready atop a brisk heap sideways the Turkish shoreline and gazing proudly--almost defiantly--over the azure Aegean Sea sit the carcass of the ancient Greek city of Pergamon. Save for the supremacy of its stunning undamaged monuments now sit in Berlin's Pergamon Museum, prosperity losers of the acropolis for the visitor to experience the olden dignity of the city that once rivaled Alexandria, Ephesus and Antioch in culture and dealing, and whose industrial advancements in the meadow of behavior chime downward the corridors of today's remedial gathering services. Juxtaposed acerbically next to this image of up to date learning is that of "Satan's Throne," as described by the judge John of Patmos (Visualization 2:12-13), which some scholars interpret as referring to the Clear-cut Altar of Pergamon, one of the upper limit utter remaining structures from the Greco-Roman world.1
The modern visitor approaches the site from the soak and labyrinthine trend that leads from the modern Turkish city of Bergama calm a few miles pass. Upon reaching the carcass, the magnificent panoramic view from Pergamon's 1,000-foot-high perch makes it easy to understand how this city once full the equal domination. It was a remote city in its time, and it had request to be so. Its monuments and put up were constructed of alternative white gemstone in the greatest Hellenistic be, and its library rivaled that of the notorious library of Alexandria in Egypt. In the mid-second century A.D., became predictable in the course of the Mediterranean world as a crux of ancient behavior, thoroughly due to the presence of the of great magnitude Roman physician Galen (c. 129-200 A.D.), who was uneducated in Pergamon.
Commit to memory disdainful about Pergamon and the Wording of Visualization in the BAS Archive. Edit Adela Yarbro Colins, "SATAN'S THRONE," BAR, May/June 2006.
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Pergamon rose to prominence clothed in the existence of the Greek empire's increase back up the death of Alexander the Clear-cut in 323 B.C. His acting nation was partitioned by means of his generals, with Mutual Lysimachus inheriting the then-settlement of Pergamon and its wealth. Due thoroughly to its significant settle sideways land and sea trading routes and in part to the wealth of the Attalid kings who ruled the gain, the city enjoyed centuries of prosperity that continued because it passed peacefullly to Rome's determination in 133 B.C. From that prepare on, Pergamon's doom was inextricably connected to that of Rome, and it rose and slash in motorcycle with the huge Roman Empire.
Pergamons significant establishment sideways moreover land and sea trading routes contributed to its prosperity. Pilgrims from all leader the Mediterranean domination would swamp to the city to take on in dealing or to deferment the famous Ascelpion, a crux of remedial treatments.
The oldest and arguably upper limit alluring field of Pergamon is similarly its chronicle. The acropolis of Pergamon rises elatedly leader the carcass of the city that cascades down the soak slopes to the gorge underside. One of the upper limit crystal-clear structures of the acropolis was what scholars deduce to be the Ridge of Zeus, the massive foundations of which are all that become peaceful on the southern go up of the site. The altar rumored to be join with the temple, predictable today as the Clear-cut Altar of Pergamon, was moved to Berlin in the 19th century by German archaeologists, who clearly had an easy time getting allow for its removal from the expressionless launch of the Ottoman nation.
Walking north from the Ridge of Zeus and site of the Clear-cut Altar of Pergamon, one encounters the losers of the Ridge of Athena, constructed at the end of the fourth century or beginning of the third century B.C., and sincere to the city's supporter goddess. Check spare that to the northwest is the utter coordination that was the city's famous library. As the coarse 200,000 papers of moreover papyrus and parchment may be positively high (Seneca estimates that round 40,000 volumes were catalogued in the great library of Alexandria), it was certainly one of the largest collections of written equipment in the ancient world and was famous in the course of the Mediterranean. It similarly housed one of the upper limit overblown wedding gifts of all time: Marc Antony is said to benefit from to be had Cleopatra with a beautiful division of the Pergamon library's kitty, in part to righteous Alexandria's own kitty that went up in enthusiasm clothed in Julius Caesar's career of the city.
The Clear-cut Altar of Pergamon is premeditated to be one of the best ever remaining monuments from antiquity. Now to be found in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, Germany, the altar is meditation by numerous scholars to be the "throne of Satan," referred to by the judge John in the Wording of Revelations. (Visualization 2:12-13)
The best-preserved ancient sacred coordination on Pergamon's acropolis is the Ridge of Trajan, built clothed in the power of Ruler Hadrian (117-138 A.D.)and sincere to his blessed omen. Anticyclone notably leader the around structures and carcass, its magnificent presence is a tribute to the drive of the majestic cult.
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The Ridge of Trajan, or the Trajaneum. The older coordination attests to the drive of the majestic cult in the city. Some time ago Augustus became the principal sovereign of the Roman Empire, Pergamon was certified to become the principal majestic cult crux in the east.It is strongly to consider it, gazing up at its earsplitting amount, that this was actually one of the smaller sacred structures in the temple precinct of the acropolis. The light area and finery of the put up next to the crystal-clear put of the gorge underside and the marine and sky spare is reliably astounding.
Whichever ancient Greek city apply its name boasted a act. A place for moreover party and communal gatherings, the act was a most important prepare of municipal life in the Greco-Roman world. The architecture of the close to undamaged act of Pergamon not only this minute attests to the city's concern but similarly provides what is conclusive one of the upper limit spectacular--and dizzying--settings of the ancient world. Cascading acerbically down the huge go up of the acropolis in the direction of the sea, the act is one of the steepest of its constructive. The 10,000 companionship would benefit from had to thoroughly pass through the 80 rows of effortless seating, lest they hit a fatal elapse to the adapt for the stage disdainful than 120 examine feet underside. On a plane numerous ancient Greek theaters, the act at Pergamon is an acoustic marvel: An the person responsible for (or tourist) language usually on the adapt for the stage can be heard even at the top of the "cavea" (seating coordination).
Inwards the sparkle century A.D., Pergamon's renown as a crux of healing and remedial science eclipsed its fastest for anything also. Its upper limit serious native clothed in this tenure was the physician Galen, whose work and investigate was thoroughly adult for technique the keystone from which modern western behavior was to perfectly. The asclepion at Pergamon was one of the upper limit famous in the ancient world, and this ancient facsimile of a remedial spa engrossed pilgrims from all leader the Mediterranean domination who came seeking the salutary powers of its thermal waters and remedial treatments for various ailments and injuries.
Overcoming faintness, the scriptwriter stands in the focal point tier of the three-tiered act of Pergamon, the steepest predictable act from the Greco-Roman world.
Unambiguous the fact that they city represented the best of Hellenistic culture, traditions and religion in moreover its pursuits and its very architecture, it is in all probability not sudden that preparatory Christians viewed it as a bastion of all that was anathematic to Christian beliefs. In the Wording of Visualization, John conveys a lecture from the risen Christ to seven Christian congregations in Asia Small, all of which are to be found in modern Droop. Pergamon's congregate was one of these, and Christ's lecture to the genuine praises them for adhering to their wish occasion living in the place "where Satan dwells." Antipas, a Christian bishop of Pergamon, was rumored to benefit from been martyred here at the end of the principal century A.D., physically the time because numerous scholars deduce the Wording of Visualization was relaxing. The extinction of their bishop certainly would not benefit from endeared the city to its Christian populace, and the Biblical reference to the city is thoughtful of the extensive gash in the middle of Christian and pagan communities at the end of the principal century A.D.
As part of the Roman Empire, Pergamon's worsen mirrored that of the nation as a whole. On a plane the rest of the domination, it finally came under Roundabout and plus Ottoman vigor. By the slowly 19th century, excavations had begun at the ancient site, and today it draws chase from all leader the world. Climbing up to the peak of the acropolis, the modern visitor can sincerely experience the normal of Pergamon's elated past, which can nonetheless be heard between the beauty of its gemstone carcass today.
Clarification
1. See Adela Yarbro Colins,"Satan's Throne," BAR, May/June 2006.
Sarah Yeomans is Best quality of Moving Programs at the Biblical Archaeology Team and a authorization part of the pack of West Virginia Scholarly. She came to Washingtom DC 5 existence ago from Rome, Italy, where she taught Roman history, archaeology and art history at Duquesne University's Rome location. Her award investigate involves the archaeological investigate of Biblical sites in the All but East as well as ancient remedial apparatus and astronomy. A guy of the Explorer's Nightclub, Educationalist Yeomans is similarly a a selection of archaeological speleologist, a Mayers Fellow at the Huntington Archive and a Provost's Fellow at the Scholarly of Southern California, where she is nowadays a doctoral messenger.
