Rituals and the Construction of Identity in Attalid Pergamon

Abstract

The creation of a mythical past and its transformation into a religious and political present by the Attalid dynasty have been a main focus of recent scholarly work. It is, however, inappropriate to imagine an entirely artificial religious identity that is void of genuine historical and religious memory. Individual Pergamene rituals and the concert of religious activities in the royal city do not reflect logical creation but rather illustrate contradictions. This chapter looks at the various influences, Greek and non-Greek, that shaped religious life at Pergamon outside the realm of royal ambition. This chapter identifies the factors that prompted the kings to further certain deities and heroes, and the constraints in simply imposing their own ideas and affinities.

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