Ruler Portraits and Ruler Cult in the Pergamon Gymnasion

Ruler portraits of Attalid kings at Pergamon's Gymnasion played a significant role in the city's multi-layered cultural landscape, serving as key elements in royal representation and cult practices. These statues exhibited visual integration and continuity, remaining prominent from their inception through late antiquity. While archaeological and epigraphic evidence exists, this study is the first to systematically analyze these artifacts, determining their functions and relationship to the ruler cult practiced in the gymnasial space. The research highlights how these portraits were preserved or adapted over centuries, offering new insights into Pergamon's cultural heritage.

Hoff, R. V. D. (2019). Ruler Portraits and Ruler Cult in the Pergamon Gymnasion. Edition Topoi. https://doi.org/10.17171/3-58-13