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[[File:Prusias II, King of Bithynia, Reduced to Begging - Google Art Project.jpg|thumbnail|Prusias II, King of Bithynia, Reduced to Begging]]
[[File:Prusias II, King of Bithynia, Reduced to Begging - Google Art Project.jpg|thumbnail|Prusias II, King of Bithynia, Reduced to Begging]]


'''Prusias II Cynegus''' ([[Greek language|Greek]]: Προυσίας ὁ Κυνηγός; "the Hunter", lived c. 220 BC – 149 BC, reigned c. 182 BC – 149 BC) was the Greek king of [[Bithynia]]. He was the son and successor of [[Prusias I of Bithynia|Prusias I]] and [[Apama III]].
'''Prusias II Cynegus''' ([[Greek language|Greek]]: Προυσίας ὁ Κυνηγός ''Prousías o Kynigós''; "the Hunter", lived c. 220 BC – 149 BC, reigned c. 182 BC – 149 BC) was the Greek king of [[Bithynia]]. He was the son and successor of [[Prusias I of Bithynia|Prusias I]] and [[Apama III]].


==Life==
==Life==

Revision as of 02:30, 7 August 2017

Prusias II "The Hunter"
King of Bithynia
Reign182 - 149 BC
PredecessorPrusias I
SuccessorNicomedes II
Bornc. 220 BC
Bithynia
Died149 BC (aged 71)
Nicomedia
ConsortApame IV
Issue
GreekΠρουσίας
FatherPrusias I
MotherApama III
ReligionGreek Polytheism
Prusias II, King of Bithynia, Reduced to Begging

Prusias II Cynegus (Greek: Προυσίας ὁ Κυνηγός Prousías o Kynigós; "the Hunter", lived c. 220 BC – 149 BC, reigned c. 182 BC – 149 BC) was the Greek king of Bithynia. He was the son and successor of Prusias I and Apama III.

Life

Prusias was born to Prusias I and Apama III in 220 BC. His father died in 189 BC,[1] at which point became the king of Bithynia. Prusias joined with the king of Pergamon, Eumenes II in a war against King Pharnaces I of Pontus (181–179 BC).[2] He later invaded the territories of Pergamon (156–154 BC), only to be defeated, and the Pergamenes insisted on heavy reparations, which included 500 talents and "twenty decked ships".[3] Prusias married his maternal cousin Apame IV, a sister of Perseus of Macedon and a princess from the Antigonid dynasty,[4] by whom he had a son called Nicomedes II and a daughter, also called Apama, who married Dyegilos,[5] son of Cotys IV, King of Thrace, and wife Semestra.

Prusias was praised by the Aetolians on account of his behavior and benefactions towards them.[6]

Towards the end of his life, Prusias II had children by a later wife, and wanted to make them his heirs in place of Nicomedes.[7] He sent Nicomedes to Rome to ask its help in reducing the amount of these reparations, and directed the co-ambassador, Menas, to kill Nicomedes if the mission was unsuccessful.[8] Despite the failure of the mission, Nicomedes persuaded Menas to betray Prusias, and Nicomedes declared himself king.[9] Prusias had to renounce the kingship in favor of his son and ended up being murdered himself instead in 149 BC.[10]

References

  1. ^ Memnon. History of Heraclea Pontica.
  2. ^ Oxford Reference.
  3. ^ Appian. The Mithridatic Wars. The ambassadors decided that as a penalty he must transfer to Attalus twenty decked ships at once, and pay him 500 talents of silver within a certain time.
  4. ^ Appian. The Mithridatic Wars. to whom Perseus, king of Macedonia, gave his sister in marriage
  5. ^ Appian. The Mithridatic Wars. his son-in-law, Diegylis the Thracian
  6. ^ Sylloge Inscriptionum Graecarum: 632 Pontica. The league of Aetolians honours king Prousias son of king Prousias on account of his virtue and his benefactions towards them.
  7. ^ Appian. The Mithridatic Wars.
  8. ^ Appian. The Mithridatic Wars. He sent Menas as his fellow ambassador, and told him if he should secure a remission of the payments to spare Nicomedes, but if not, to kill him at Rome.
  9. ^ Appian. The Mithridatic Wars.
  10. ^ Appian. The Mithridatic Wars. Prusias fled to the temple of Zeus, where he was stabbed by some of the emissaries of Nicomedes.
Preceded by King of Bithynia
182 BC – 149 BC
Succeeded by