Rare testimonies from the Palace of Pergamon

Pergamon made a clear statement to take a leading position in the Hellenistic world in which the rulers attracted the best artists, architects, and philosophers. 

The Palace of Pergamon and its adjacent rooms must have been a sight for sore eyes considering the magnificence and action displayed on the famous Altar of Zeus, whose remains have been moved to the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. 

On most maps of Pergamon, we find five consecutive rooms initially labeled as Palaces in their own right. Recent studies have established that the so-called Palace V was the main building used for official purposes. The other “palaces” were rooms for the Royal family and the guests, storage rooms, and arsenals. 

The official rooms with their niches and patios would be filled with elegant statues, statuettes, vessels, and other decorative items created by the best artists from Hellenistic times commissioned by the Attalid kings (see: The Attalids, rulers of Pergamon). 

From the reign of Attalus I, 241 to 197 BC, the most striking examples are the statues of the Dying Gaul and the man and woman known as the Galatian Suicide. Both pieces were taken to Rome to adorn the Gardens of Caesar. Also at the instigation of Attalus I, a new architectural feature appeared, the Pergamene Capital (see: About Greek/Roman columns and capitals). There must be proof that at least bits of these capitals are left in situ but I have not found any. I discovered my first examples in North Africa and in particular in Leptis Magna, the city built by Septimius Severus in the 2^nd century AD. 

The reigns of Eumenes II and Attalus II in the 2^nd century BC left us with only a handful of artworks that survived the ravages of time. A rare treasure found in the dining room of Palace V with the Hephaistion mosaic is the dancer or light carrier lady. She is 1.20 meters tall and made of white translucent marble. Her right hand which has not survived is raised and her left hand reaches downwards towards her dress. This elegant beauty has been transferred to the Altes Museum of Berlin. Another lady dancer has apparently been moved to the Archaeological Museum of Izmir and the only available picture is on the site of Livius. 

More telling is the colorful mosaic of a parakeet now at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin (see: The beauty of Alexandrine mosaics) retrieved from one of the two dining rooms of the Palace. Here, another remarkable mosaic was discovered that carried the signature of the artist. His name is Hephaistion, which has nothing to do with Alexander’s friend who lived two centuries earlier. This artist very creatively wrote his name on a label that seemed to be stuck to the floor with sealing wax at its corners, except one corner which was already lifted up. The full inscription can be translated as "Hephaistion made it". 

The balance of the finds in and around the Royal Palace is very meager considering the grandeur and wealth accumulated by the Attalid Kings of Pergamon (see: The Attalids, rulers of Pergamon). It is unclear whether these premises have been thoroughly excavated or if more work remains to be done. I like to believe the latest.