Attalus Ii.
Surnamed PHILADELPHUS, was the second son of Attalus I., and was born in B. C. 200. (Lucian,
Macrob. 12;
Strab. xiii. p.624.)
Before his accession to the crown, we frequently find him employed by his brother Eumenes in military operations. In B. C. 190, during the absence of Eumenes, he resisted an invasion of Seleucus, the son of Antiochus, and was afterwards present at the battle of Mount Sipylus. (
Liv. 37.18,
43.) In B. C. 189, he accompanied the consul Cn. Manlius Vulso in his expedition into Galatia. (
Liv. 38.12;
Plb. 22.22.) In 182, he served his brother in his war with Pharnaces. (
Plb. 25.4,
6.) In 171, with Eumenes and Athenaeus, he joined the consul P. Licinius Crassus in Greece. (
Liv. 42.55,
58,
65.)
He was several times sent to Rome as ambassador: in B. C. 192, to announce that Antiochus had crossed the Hellespont (
Liv. 35.23); in 181, during the war between Eumenes and Pharnaces (
Plb. 25.6); in 167, to congratulate the Romans on their victory over Perseus. Eumenes being in ill-favour at Rome at this time, Attalus was encouraged with hopes of getting the kingdom for himself; but was induced, by the remonstrances of a physician named Stratius, to abandon his designs. (
Liv. 45.19,
20;
Plb. 30.1-
3.) In 164 and 160, he was again sent to Rome. (
Plb. 31.9,
32.3,
5.)
Attalus succeeded his brother Eumenes in B. C. 159. His first undertaking was the restoration of Ariarathes to his kingdom. (
Plb. 32.23.) In 156, he was attacked by Prusias, and found himself compelled to call in the assistance of the Romans and his allies, Ariarathes and Mithridates. In B. C. 154, Prusias was compelled by the threats of the Romans to grant peace, and indemnify Attalus for the losses he had sustained. (
Plb. 3.5,
32.25, &c., 33.1, 6, 10, 11; Appian,
App. Mith. 3, &c.; Diod. xxxi. Exc. p. 589.) In 152, he sent some troops to aid Alexander Balas in usurping the throne of Syria (Porphyr. apud
Euseb. p. 187;
Just. 35.1), and in 149 he assisted Nicomedes against his father Prusias.
He was also engaged in hostilities with, and conquered, Diegylis, a Thracian prince, the father-in-law of Prusias (Diod. xxxiii. Exc. p. 595, &c.;
Strab. xiii. p.624), and sent some auxiliary troops to the Romans, which assisted them in expelling the pseudo-Philip and in taking Corinth. (Strab.
l.c.; Paus. 7.16.8.) During the latter part of his life, he resigned himself to the guidance of his minister, Philopoemen. (Plut.
Mor. p. 792.)
He founded Philadelphia in Lydia (Steph. Byz.
s.v.) and Attaleia in Pamphylia. (
Strab. xiv. p.667.)
He encouraged the arts and sciences, and was himself the inventor of a kind of embroidery. (
Plin. Nat. 7.39,
35.36.19, 8.74;
Athen. 8.346, xiv. p. 634.)
He died B. C. 138, aged eighty-two.
