Ancient Pergamon帕加馬古城

Perched atop a windswept mountain along the Turkish coastline and gazing proudly—almost defiantly—over the azure Aegean Sea sit the ruins of ancient Pergamon. Although the majority of its superb intact monuments now sit in Berlin’s Pergamon Museum， enough remains of the acropolis for the visitor to sense the former greatness of the city that once rivaled Alexandria1， Ephesus2 and Antioch in culture and commerce， and whose scientific advancements in the field of medicine resonate through the corridors of today’s medical treatment facilities. Juxtaposed sharply against this image of enlightened learning is that of “Satan’s Throne”， as described by the prophet John of Patmos， which some scholars interpret as referring to the Great Altar of Pergamon， one of the most magnificent surviving structures from the Greco-Roman world.

帕加馬古城的遺跡聳峙在土耳其海岸邊一座迎風山的山頂上，驕傲地——幾乎是不可一世地——凝視著蔚藍的愛琴海。雖然遺跡中大部分精美且完好的文物現在存放于柏林的帕加馬博物館，但留在原地的衛城遺跡也足以讓游客感受到這座古城當初的輝煌——它曾經可在文化和商業上與亞歷山大里亞城、以佛所城和安提俄克城相匹敵，在醫學領域里的科學成就響徹今天醫療機構的走廊。與這種開明形象形成鮮明對比的，是拔摩島上的先知約翰所描述的“撒旦寶座”。有些學者把這個“寶座”解讀為帕加馬大祭壇，它是希臘羅馬世界幸存至今的最雄偉的建筑之一。

The modern visitor approaches the site from the steep and winding road that leads from the modern Turkish city of Bergama just a few miles away. Upon reaching the ruins， the commanding panoramic view from Pergamon’s 1，000-foot-high perch makes it easy to understand how this city once domin-ated the entire region. It was a proud city in its time， and it had reason to be so. Its monuments and buildings were constructed of high-quality white marble in the finest Hellenistic style， and its library rivaled the famed library of Alexandria in Egypt. In the mid-second century A.D.， it became known throughout the Mediterranean world as a center of ancient medicine， largely due to the presence of the eminent Roman phys-ician Galen （c. 129–200 A.D.）， who was born in ancient Pergamon.

如今，游客從今天的土耳其城市貝爾加馬出發，沿陡峭且曲折的路走上幾英里就能到達帕加馬古城。到達之后，從1000英尺高的地方居高臨下地俯瞰全景，就不難理解這座城市何以曾經統治整個地區。它在當時是一座驕傲的城市，而且理應如此。城中的塑像和建筑用優質的白色大理石建成，展現出最精美的希臘化時代風格；圖書館堪比埃及聞名遐邇的亞歷山大里亞古城圖書館。公元2世紀中葉，帕加馬古城在整個地中海地區以古代醫學中心著稱，主要是因為羅馬名醫蓋倫（約129—約200），他就出生在這座古城。

Pergamon rose to prominence during the years of the empire’s division following the death of Alexander the Great3 in 323 B.C. His short-lived empire was partitioned among his generals， with General Lysimachus inheriting the then-settlement of Pergamon and its wealth. Due largely to its strategic pos-ition along land and sea trading routes and in part to the wealth of the Attalid4 kings who ruled the kingdom， the city enjoyed centuries of prosperity that continued when it passed peacefully to Rome’s control in 133 B.C. From that point on， Pergamon’s fate was inextric-ably linked to that of Rome， and it rose and fell in tandem with the great Roman Empire.

公元前323年，亞歷山大大帝去世后，帝國分崩離析，帕加馬隨之崛起。亞歷山大大帝的短命帝國被他手下的將軍們瓜分，其中利西馬科斯將軍接手了當時的帕加馬城及城中財富。這座城市繁榮了幾個世紀，主要是因為它在海陸商路上處于戰略位置，還有部分原因在于執政的阿塔利德王朝國王們擁有大量財富。公元前133年，帕加馬被和平移交給羅馬控制，此后依然繁榮。從那時起，帕加馬城的命運與羅馬的命運錯綜復雜地交織在一起，與偉大的羅馬帝國共興亡。

The oldest and arguably most beautiful section of Pergamon is also its highest. The acropolis of Pergamon rises triumphantly over the ruins of the city that cascades down the steep slopes to the valley below. One of the most dramatic structures of the acropolis was what scholars believe to be the Temple of Zeus， the massive foundations of which are all that remain on the southern slope of the site. The altar believed to be associated with the temple， known today as the Great Altar of Pergamon， was moved to Berlin in the 19th century by German archaeologists， who evidently had an easy time getting permission for its removal from the indifferent authorities of the Ottoman empire.

帕加馬城最古老、可謂最美麗的部分也是其最高的部分。城市遺跡沿著陡坡瀑布似地一直散落到下面的谷地，帕加馬衛城就傲然聳立于廢墟之上。衛城中最引人注目的建筑之一是學者們認定的宙斯神廟，古城遺址的南坡上如今只剩下其厚實的地基。據信與宙斯神廟有聯系的祭壇（今日稱“帕加馬大祭壇”）在19世紀被德國考古學家遷至柏林，而且他們顯然輕而易舉就從漠不關心的奧斯曼帝國當局那里獲得了遷移許可。

Walking north from the Temple of Zeus and the site of the Great Altar of Pergamon， one encounters the remains of the Temple of Athena， constructed at the end of the fourth century or beginning of the third century B.C.， and dedicated to the city’s patron goddess. Just beyond that to the northwest is the magnificent structure that was the city’s famous library. While the estimated 200，000 documents of both papyrus and parchment may be rather high （Seneca estimates that approximately 40，000 volumes were catalogued in the larger library of Alexandria）， it was certainly one of the largest collections of written material in the ancient world and was famous throughout the Mediterranean. It also housed one of the most extravagant wedding gifts of all time： Mark Antony5 is said to have presented Cleopatra with a sizable portion of the Pergamon library’s collection， in part to restore Alexandria’s own collection that went up in flames during Julius Caesar’s occupation of the city.

從宙斯神廟和帕加馬大祭壇舊址向北步行，便會看到雅典娜神廟的遺跡。這座神廟供奉的是帕加馬城的守護女神，修建于公元前4世紀末或3世紀初。離神廟不遠的西北方有一座雄偉的建筑，那是這座城市著名的圖書館。據估計，館內有20萬份紙莎草紙和羊皮紙文獻，雖然這個數字可能過高（塞內加估計，規模更大的亞歷山大里亞城圖書館有大約4萬卷在編圖書），但帕加馬圖書館肯定是古代館藏文獻資料最多的圖書館之一，而且馳名整個地中海地區。館內還曾經藏有史上最奢華的結婚禮物之一：據說，馬克·安東尼曾將相當多的帕加馬圖書館館藏送給克萊奧帕特拉，部分原因是為了重建亞歷山大里亞城圖書館的館藏——尤利烏斯·愷撒占領亞歷山大里亞城時將圖書館付之一炬。

The best-preserved ancient sac-red structure on ancient Pergamon’s acropolis is the Temple of Trajan， built during the reign of Emperor Hadrian6 （117–138 A.D.） and dedicated to his deified predecessor. Towering imposingly over the surrounding structures and ruins， its commanding presence is a testament to the strength of the imperial cult. It is hard to imagine， gazing up at its enormous height， that this was actually one of the smaller sacred structures in the temple precinct of the acropolis. The sheer size and majesty of the building against the dramatic backdrop of the valley below and the ocean and sky beyond is truly awe-inspiring.

帕加馬古城的衛城中，保存得最好的古代宗教建筑是圖拉真神廟，修建于哈德良皇帝統治時期（117—138），以供奉他尊為神明的前任皇帝。圖拉真神廟巍然屹立在周圍建筑和遺跡之上，其威嚴氣場證明了帝王崇拜的力量。仰望高聳入云的神廟，很難想象它其實是衛城神廟區域里比較小的宗教建筑之一。在下面的谷地以及遠處的海洋和天空的映襯下，這座建筑的宏大和壯麗的確使人心生敬畏。

Every ancient Greek city worth its name boasted a theater. A place for both entertainment and civic gatherings， the theater was a focal point of public life in the Greco-Roman world. The architecture of the nearly intact theater of Pergamon not only attests to the city’s importance but also provides what is surely one of the most spectacular—and dizzying—settings of the ancient world. Cascading sharply down the precipitous slope of the acropolis toward the sea， the theater is one of the steepest of its kind. The 10，000 visitors would have had to carefully navigate the 80 rows of horizontal seating， lest they take a fatal tumble to the stage more than 120 vertical feet below. Like many ancient Greek theaters， the theater at Pergamon is an acoustic marvel： An actor （or tourist） speaking normally on the stage can be heard even at the top of the cavea （seating structure）.

每個名副其實的古希臘城市都有一座劇場。在希臘羅馬世界，劇場既是娛樂場所又是公眾聚會的地方，所以是公共生活的焦點。近乎完好無損的帕加馬劇場不僅證明了帕加馬城的重要性，而且無疑搭建出了古代最壯觀、最讓人眼花繚亂的場景之一。劇場沿衛城的陡峭山坡瀑布似地向大海的方向鋪開，是同類建筑中落差最大的之一。1萬名觀眾必須在80排水平的座位間小心翼翼地穿行，免得跌落到垂直距離120多英尺下的舞臺上喪命。像很多古希臘劇場一樣，帕加馬劇場也是一個聲學奇跡：演員（或游客）在舞臺上正常說話，即便在階梯座位的最高處都可以聽到。

During the second century A.D.， Perg-amon’s fame as a center of healing and medical science eclipsed its reputation for anything else. Its most celebrated citi-zen during this period was the physician Galen， whose work and research were largely responsible for providing the foundation from which modern Western medicine was to spring. The asclepion at ancient Pergamon was one of the most famous in the ancient world， and this ancient version of a medical spa attracted pilgrims from all over the Mediterranean region who came seeking the restorative powers of its thermal waters and medical treatments for various ailments and in-juries.

公元2世紀，帕加馬作為療養醫學中心的聲譽蓋過了它在其他領域的名望。在這一時期，帕加馬最著名的公民是醫生蓋倫，他的工作和研究在很大程度上為現代西醫的產生奠定了基礎。帕加馬古城的醫神廟是古代最著名的一所，廟中提供的古代版水療吸引了地中海地區各地的朝圣者前來用溫泉水恢復健康，醫治各種疾病和創傷。

Given the fact that the city represented the epitome of Hellenistic culture， traditions and religion in both its pursuits and its very architecture， it is perhaps not surprising that early Christians viewed it as a bastion of all that was anathematic to Christian beliefs. In the Book of Reve-lation， John conveys a message from the risen Christ to seven Christian congregations in Asia Minor， all of which are located in modern Turkey. Perga-mon’s congregation was one of these， and Christ’s message to the faithful praises them for adhering to their faith while living in the place “where Satan dwells.” Antipas， a Christian bishop of Pergamon， was believed to have been martyred here at the end of the first century A.D.， around the time when many scholars believe the Book of Revelation was composed. The execution of their bishop certainly would not have endeared the city to its Christian inhabitants， and the Biblical reference to the city is reflective of the general tension between Christian and pagan communities at the end of the first century A.D.

鑒于帕加馬城在自身追求及城中建筑兩方面都是希臘化時代文化、傳統和宗教的縮影，早期基督徒將其視為所有厭惡基督教信仰的人與物的堡壘或許也就不足為奇。《啟示錄》中寫道，約翰將復活的耶穌的信息傳給了小亞細亞的7個基督教會，這7個教會均位于今日的土耳其。帕加馬教會就是其中之一，在傳遞給忠實信徒的信息中，耶穌贊美他們生活在“撒旦居住的地方”仍能堅持信仰。據信，公元1世紀末，帕加馬的基督教主教安提帕在城中殉道，很多學者認為《啟示錄》大約成書于此時。主教遭到處決肯定不會使帕加馬城的基督徒居民喜愛這座城市，而《圣經》提到帕加馬城時也說公元1世紀末，基督徒與異教徒兩個群體之間關系普遍緊張。

As part of the Roman Empire， Perg-amon’s decline mirrored that of the empire as a whole. Like the rest of the region， it eventually came under Byzantine and then Ottoman rule. By the late 19th century， excavations had begun at the ancient site， and today it draws people from all over the world. Climbing up to the peak of the acropolis， the modern visitor can easily sense the echo of Pergamon’s glorious past， which can still be heard among the beauty of its marble ruins today.

帕加馬城作為羅馬帝國的一部分，其衰落反映了整個帝國的衰落。就像其所在地區的其他城市一樣，帕加馬城最終先受拜占庭帝國統治，后來受奧斯曼帝國統治。對這座古城遺址的發掘始于19世紀末，如今古城吸引著世界各地的人。登上衛城的最高處，今天的游客很容易與帕加馬的輝煌過去產生共鳴，那回聲至今仍能在壯美的大理石遺跡中聽到。

1亞歷山大里亞古城始建于公元前332年馬其頓國王亞歷山大大帝征服埃及之時，7世紀后逐漸衰落。這座古城有“黃金之城”的美譽，是當時地中海地區重要的政治、經濟和文化中心。" 2作為曾經的文化、政治與商業中心，以佛所古城對西方哲學和醫學產生了巨大的影響。2015年，聯合國教科文組織世界遺產委員會將以佛所遺址列入《世界遺產名錄》。

3亞歷山大大帝（公元前356—前323），古代馬其頓國王，軍事統帥。亞歷山大大帝死后，其所建帝國解體，形成了以托勒密王國、塞琉西王國和馬其頓王國為主體的一批希臘化國家。

4由阿塔羅斯一世（Attalus I，公元前241—前197在位）建立的王朝。在其統治下，帕加馬成為希臘化時代（公元前323—前30）最重要和最美麗的城市之一。

5馬克·安東尼（公元前83—前30），曾是愷撒麾下的將軍，后成為羅馬“后三頭政治”同盟中的一員，并與埃及女王克萊奧帕特拉七世陷入愛河，結成政治聯盟。" 6哈德良是羅馬帝國皇帝圖拉真的表侄，后收為養子。117年，圖拉真在率兵返回途中病死，軍隊擁立當時已成為圖拉真養子的哈德良為皇帝。