Atlas from Space: Athena Propylon from Pergamum

The Propylon of Athena is the entrance to the temenos of the temple of Athena. Originally on the acropolis of Pergamum, the propylon was dismantled and transported to Berlin, where it was reassembled in the Pergamon Museum.

The inscription identifies Eumenes (II: 197-159 BCE) as the builder and recognizes the goddess as being responsible for the military victories the Attalid kings experienced, such as the great victories Attalus I won against the Gauls in 233 and 228 BCE.

"The frieze below the crowning gable contains motifs of garlands of oak and olive leaves looped alternately over bucrania [cow-heads] and eagles, while over the garlands owls alternate with phialai. The symbols and attributes recall Athana and Zeus, as do the dedications in the sanctuary. The balustrade of the second storey is carved with armour and weaponry captured in wars, including (right) a very rare representation from Greek antiquity of the spring frame of a ballista.... The military theme broadcasts the power and the successes of the Attalid kings under the auspices of their patron goddess." --Roger Ling, Cambridge Ancient History: Plates to Vol. III (New York: Cambridge, 1984): 47.

Want to go deeper?

The following are recommended to help you look deeper into the history and archaeology of Pergamum.

Recommended for purchase:

Steve Singleton – Overcoming: A Study Guide for the Book of Revelation (DeeperStudy.com, 2004) – Provides a brief historical background of Pergamum and the other six cities of the Apocalypse, as well as a thorough introduction and brief commentary on the Apocalypse. Get digital edition and save almost 50%!

Steve Singleton – Seven Letters to the Church (2006) – E-book drawn from Overcoming (see above), with additional material. Illustrated commentary on the Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia, as found in Revelation chapters 2 and 3. Includes history, culture, and archaeology of the churches, plus a summary of relevance for today as well as verse by verse comments. Illustrated with drawings & color photos, including satellite images of Ephesus, Pergamum, and Laodicea.

Claude E. Fant & Mitchell G. Reddish – A Guide to Biblical Sites in Greece and Turkey (Oxford, 2003). – Nearly two-thirds of the New Testament, including all the letters of Paul, most of Acts, and the Book of Revelation, are set in either Turkey or Greece. This book serves as a historical, biblical, and archaeological guide to most of these biblical sites. View excerpt

CD-ROM: Turkey: Pictorial Library of Bible Lands (2004) – Series is most complete collection of high resolution Bible Land images available... perfect for worship, class study, or personal Bible study! Highest quality available. This CD features more than 700 high-resolution digitized images, including: Cities of Paul's Journeys (Antioch on the Orontes, Seleucia, Tarsus, Pisidian Antioch, Lystra and Derbe, Colossae, Hierapolis, Assos, Alexandria Troas, and Miletus); seven churches of Revelation: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea; plus Istanbul, Cappadocia, Priene, and Troy.

Helmut Koester – Pergamon: Citadel of the Gods: Archaeological Record, Literary Description, & Religious Development – Harvard Theological Studies (Trinity Press International, 1998). – Includes comprehensive descriptions of the ancient city's famous temples and sanctuaries by German archaeologists who excavated them. In addition, leading European and American scholars in the fields of classics and New Testament studies provide interpretive essays. Richly illustrated with photographs, drawings, maps, and plans. The definitive study in English on this important Hellenistic and Roman city.

Frank Sear – Roman Theatres: An Architectural Study. (Oxford, 2006). – Sear discusses Pergamum's Hellenistic theater on pp. 346-347.

Ekrem Akurgal – Ancient Civilizations and Ruins of Turkey: From Prehistoric Times Until the End of the Roman Empire (Haset Kirabevi, 1985). | cheaper, earlier edition – Akurgal was the archaeologist in charge of the excavation of the original Smyrna at Bayrakli.

Online resources:

Christine Eslik, PhD – Recent and current excavations

Mary M. Honan – Guide to the Pergamon Museum (Berlin: George Reimer, 1904). – Includes lengthy description of the "War of the gods against the giants" depicted in the frieze surrounding the Altar of Zeus.

Lynn A. Levine – Tour of Pergamum from Frommer's Turkey, 4th ed. (2006):177-181.

Close-up of inscription