Pergamum held the singular distinction of hosting the first imperial cult temple in Asia Minor — granted by Rome in 29 BC for Augustus — and coins struck under Trajan from this mint frequently circulated in direct service of that cult economy, funding priesthoods and festival games that drew visitors from across the conventus. The city was also home to the second-largest library in the ancient world, a point of civic pride that Pergamene magistrates actively leveraged in their negotiations with Rome for minting privileges.
Pergamum held the singular distinction of hosting the first imperial cult temple in Asia Minor — granted by Rome in 29 BC for Augustus — and coins struck under Trajan from this mint frequently circulated in direct service of that cult economy, funding priesthoods and festival games that drew visitors from across the conventus. The city was also home to the second-largest library in the ancient world, a point of civic pride that Pergamene magistrates actively leveraged in their negotiations with Rome for minting privileges.