DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14144#0571
THE ATTALID.-E.
535
Greek art in Rome. But as regards our immediate subject, the art
of Pergambn, the most interesting incident in the history of this
vigorous dynasty is their collision with the Gauls, or as they were
then called the Galatians.
These terrible invaders penetrated into Macedonia, and defeated
Ptolemy Keraunos about the year 2S0 B.C. After receiving a tem-
porary check from the Macedonian general Sosthenes, they passed
through Thessaly into Greece proper, and were defeated by the
Greeks, or rather by Apollo himself, under the walls of Delphi.
Another horde occupied Thrace and invaded Asia Minor on the
invitation of Nicomedes, King of Bithynia, in 278 EC (Ol. 125).
After plundering the shores of the Hellespont, Ionia, and ^Eolia,
they settled on the river Halys, and received tribute from almost all
the countries west of the Taurus range. Attalus, King of Pergamon,
alone refused submission, and in a battle near his capital gained a
decisive victory over these terrible barbarians, and compelled them to
confine themselves to a province in the interior, which received the
name of Galatia from them. This battle probably took place not in
01. 135. 2 (B.C. 239), as is generally assumed, but in 229 B.C. (01.
138. 2).'
The moral elevation consequent on these new triumphs of Greeks
over barbarians gave, as usual, a fresh impulse to plastic art, for
which the events of the Gallic wars supplied suitable subjects of great
national interest. The victories of Attalus inspired the art of Per-
gamon. With true Greek feeling the conqueror sought to record the
glories of his triumph in Athens, the once hallowed centre of Greek
life, and rejoiced to write his name on the glorious scroll of heroes,
who, like himself, had proved the superiority of the Greeks over every
other race.
Pausanias tells us that Attalus offered four groups of statues at
Athens, which stood on the south wall of the Acropolis : viz. I. The
Baltic of tlic Gods and Giants, ' who once dwelt in Thrace and the
Isthmus of Pallene."- II. The Battle of Athenians and Amazons.
III. The Battle of Marathon ; and IV. The Destruction of the Can Is in
1 Vide Niebuhr, Khitn Scknfttn. Clinton, F. Jf. p. 413.
- l'aus,an. i. 25. 2.
535
Greek art in Rome. But as regards our immediate subject, the art
of Pergambn, the most interesting incident in the history of this
vigorous dynasty is their collision with the Gauls, or as they were
then called the Galatians.
These terrible invaders penetrated into Macedonia, and defeated
Ptolemy Keraunos about the year 2S0 B.C. After receiving a tem-
porary check from the Macedonian general Sosthenes, they passed
through Thessaly into Greece proper, and were defeated by the
Greeks, or rather by Apollo himself, under the walls of Delphi.
Another horde occupied Thrace and invaded Asia Minor on the
invitation of Nicomedes, King of Bithynia, in 278 EC (Ol. 125).
After plundering the shores of the Hellespont, Ionia, and ^Eolia,
they settled on the river Halys, and received tribute from almost all
the countries west of the Taurus range. Attalus, King of Pergamon,
alone refused submission, and in a battle near his capital gained a
decisive victory over these terrible barbarians, and compelled them to
confine themselves to a province in the interior, which received the
name of Galatia from them. This battle probably took place not in
01. 135. 2 (B.C. 239), as is generally assumed, but in 229 B.C. (01.
138. 2).'
The moral elevation consequent on these new triumphs of Greeks
over barbarians gave, as usual, a fresh impulse to plastic art, for
which the events of the Gallic wars supplied suitable subjects of great
national interest. The victories of Attalus inspired the art of Per-
gamon. With true Greek feeling the conqueror sought to record the
glories of his triumph in Athens, the once hallowed centre of Greek
life, and rejoiced to write his name on the glorious scroll of heroes,
who, like himself, had proved the superiority of the Greeks over every
other race.
Pausanias tells us that Attalus offered four groups of statues at
Athens, which stood on the south wall of the Acropolis : viz. I. The
Baltic of tlic Gods and Giants, ' who once dwelt in Thrace and the
Isthmus of Pallene."- II. The Battle of Athenians and Amazons.
III. The Battle of Marathon ; and IV. The Destruction of the Can Is in
1 Vide Niebuhr, Khitn Scknfttn. Clinton, F. Jf. p. 413.
- l'aus,an. i. 25. 2.