On This Day: Pergamon Falls to Rome
September 17, 133 BCE: The last king of Pergamon signs away his kingdom—Rome inherits an empire while barely lifting a sword.
Charles Le Brun — "The Jabach Family" (ca. 1660), public domain
An entire kingdom, delivered by will.
On September 17, 133 BCE, Attalus III, last king of Pergamon, names Rome his heir. No bitter siege, no heroic last stand—just a signature that hands Asia’s riches to the Republic.
Pergamon’s treasures fill Roman coffers.
Rome inherits not only land but libraries, temples, and gold. This sudden bounty stirs up trouble—rebellion follows, and new provinces mean new headaches for the Senate.
A paper empire, but real consequences.
This act shifts the balance: Rome now rules deep into Asia Minor. For generations, poets will mourn the end of Pergamon, and Roman generals will eye the East with fresh ambition.
King Attalus III, fearing chaos after his death, bequeaths Pergamon to Rome in his will. For Rome, it’s a windfall of land, art, and power. Asia, overnight, becomes Roman.
