ABSTRACT
Mothers were a conspicuous part of the Attalid self-representation as a united family and a paradigm of family virtues. Although present since an independent power was established in Pergamon, the figure of the dynastic mother attained a central role when the Pergamene state became a kingdom and the title basilissa emerged. The two women who bore it, Apollonis and Stratonike, were a ubiquitous presence in the public self-representation of the Attalids, with an emphasis on motherhood. They also appeared to be, especially Apollonis, publicly influential, active women, mainly through their agency in religious benefactions and in the relationship between royal power and cities, but without exceeding traditional gender roles.
