The King’s Last Insurance Policy
King Attalus III of Pergamon kept a notebook packed with recipes—for every poison and cure he could imagine.
The King’s Last Insurance Policy, public domain
A Royal Lab of Nightmares.
Attalus III ruled Pergamon like a mad scientist. He tested poisons on condemned criminals and animals, scribbling down every effect, every antidote that worked—or failed. His palace looked more like an apothecary than a throne room.
A Deadly Inheritance.
When Attalus died without an heir in 133 BC, he left his kingdom—including his medical notebooks and secret recipes—to Rome. Scholars and power-hungry men scrambled to uncover his secrets. His death launched a new wave of toxic curiosity across the Mediterranean.
Attalus’s obsession outlived him. His collection of poisons, antidotes, and medical notes became legend—and Rome’s inheritance after his death.
