Though his son Prusias II. was successful in the wars which he waged against the Byzantines and the Galatians, yet he acquired a more distinguished re nown when he invaded Pergamus, assisted by the wisdom and valour of Hannibal. That consummate general, forced by the ingratitude of his country to seek an asylum in a foreign land, arrived at last at the Bithynian court ; and such was the influence, which his transcendent genius acquired over the mind of Prusias, that at his solicitation, he renounced the friendship of .the Romans, and declared war against Eumenes, who was under their protection. But Eu menes, depending upon the aid of the Romans, though still more upon the energy of his own mind, defeated his forces both by sea and land, and reduced him to such distress that he was ready to accept of peace. But the restless mind of Hannibal, ever fruitful in re sources, informed that Philip king of Macedon was enraged against Rome and Pergamus, endeavoured to wield the resentment of that monarch to accomplish his own revenge, and persuaded him to join his army to that of Prusias. Prusias renewed the war, and employing various stratagems invented by Hanni bal, saw his arms crowned with the most brilliant success. But the Romans, trembling for the fate of Eumenes, sent ambassadors to mediate a peace be tween the contending princes, and to induce Prusias to deliver Hannibal into their hands. The glory which Prusias had gained on the field of battle, was tarnish ed by his ingratitude to that illustrious hero, whom, as the price of Roman friendship, he abandoned to his implacable enemies. Indignant at the treachery of Prusias, Hannibal deserted a court that was unwor thy of his presence, and retiring to Libyssa, put an end to his life.
Prusias now became the slave of the Romans, join ed them against the Macedonians, and went to Italy to congratulate them upon this success. But before be entered Rome, he laid aside the ensigns of royalty, and, in the dress appropriated to slaves when they receive their freedom, was introduced into the senate. His meanness and servility sealed the degradation of his own mind, but could not be grateful to that nerable assembly, nor reflect glory upon the majesty of the Roman name. He returned home ; but the historic muse would blush to describe his conduct afterwards, in which, without the semblance 9f one virtue, was exhibited every vice which could entail misery upon his subjects, or infamy upon himself. But the memory of his past achievements made him still formidable to his neighbours ; and when lie heard that Attalus had succeeded his brother Eumenes, he again invaded Pergamus, entered the capital of that kingdom, and exercised the most unrelenting cruelty during the space of three years. At the end of that period from Rome arrived to reconcile the hostile princes, and a conference was agreed to, upon the confines of the two kingdoms. But Prusias, following his dark policy, endeavoured with his army to cut off Attains and the ambassadors, who were re• pairing to the place appointed, but his design was dis covered, and they escaped by flight. The senate threatened vengeance, but Prusias would have des pised threatenings, if he had not been informed that Athenmus, the brother of Attalus, with a powerful fleet, was spreading devastation along the Bithynian coast, and that Attalus himself had raised another for midable army. Peace therefore was at last obtained,
and Prusias sent his son Nicomedes to Rome, either to complete his education, or to procure from the senate a remission of some disagreeable articles of the treaty. But Nicomedes no sooner gained the friend ship of the Romans, than the suspicious mind of Prusias became jealous of his designs. Prusias im mediately sent Menas, one of his favourites, to Rome, as his ambassador, but with the private design of cutting off Nicomedes. Whether fear or remorse ani mated the mind of Menas, we are uncertain, but he revealed the unnatural design to the son ; and the danger to which, from that moment, both were ex posed, incited them to secure themselves by the death of Prusias. Nicomedes set sail for Pergamus, pro cured the assistance of Attains, invaded the territo ries of his father, and was every where received as the deliverer of his country. Not daring to trust the few Bithynians who still remained with him, Prusias fled from city to city, in the fond expectation that am bassadors would arrive from Rome to adjust the dif ferences between him and his son. Ambassadors did arrive, but they were men who could form no deci sive measures, nor give them efficacy if formed, and proved that the Romans could sport with the feelings of a prince, who had taught them to despise him. Nicomedes and Attalus advanced to Nicomedia, where Prusias had shut himself up ; the gates were imme diately thrown open by the revolting inhabitants ; and in the temple of Jupiter, whose sanctity could afford him no protection, the father fell by the hand of his son.
Nicomedes II. ascended the throne, but not to re alise the hopes of his country. Though he assumed the name of Epipluznes, or the Illustrious, yet the only action which he performed, during a reign of 42 years, to vindicate his claim to that lofty appella tion, was the murder of his brothers. He died a vio lent death ; but that it was inflicted by his son appears to be a conjecture originating in that love of retribu tive justice which is natural to man. His son, Nico medes III. overran Paphlagonia, invaded Cappadocia, expelled Ariarathes, and to secure the kingdom to himself, married the mother of that prince. But Aria rathes procured the assistance of Mithridates the Great, who not only drove Nicomedes from that king_ dom, but expelled him from his own dominions. Be ing restored by the Romans, in an ill-fated hour he in vaded the kingdom of Mithridates, and that high spirited prince met him on the banks of the Amnius, dissipated his forces with dreadful slaughter, and again forced him into exile. The Romans again seated him on the throne, but dying soon after, he left his domi nions to his son Nicomedes IV., whose name can only claim a place in the page of history as the last of the Bithynian kings. As he had no son, he left his king dom to the Romans. A daughter, named Musa, survived him, who afterwards claimed the kingdom ' for her son. But the Romans rejected her claim, and retained it as a province, till it was wrested from them by the Turks, to whom it still belongs. (N)