Bust of Philetairos

Portrait bust wearing a chlamys attached
by a clasp on the right shoulder and a
diadem in the form of a ribbon on his
head. His short hair forms curls around
his face. His face is broad and angular,
with an arched nose and narrow full
lips. The eyelids are indicated. He has a
double chin. The distinctive features of
the bust resemble those of Philetairos
(343-263 BC), founder of the Kingdom of
Pergamon.
After his death in 263 BC Philetairos was
succeeded by his adopted son Eumenes
I, who proclaimed him to be the divine
founder of the Attalos dynasty and began
to mint silver coins bearing his portrait
(Cat. no. 126). A bust with similar features
has been found in the Pisones Villa
(Villa dei Papiri) in Herculaneum. The
portrait bust and portraits depicted on
coins were probably copied from a statue
commemorating Philetairos that was
erected in Pergamon (see Bieber 1955, pp.
106-107, figs. 416, 418-419).