Prusias I of Bithynia

Prusias was the son of King Ziaelas of Bithynia and an unknown woman. He was crowned king in c. 228 BC, succeeding his father. A vigorous and energetic leader; he fought a war against Byzantium in 220 BC, seizing its Asiatic territory.^[1] Then, Prusias defeated the Galatians, whom Nicomedes I had previously invited across the Bosphorus to a territory called Arisba, and putting to death all of their women and children and letting his men plunder their baggage.^[2]

At some point during his reign, Prusias formed a marriage alliance with King Demetrius II of Macedon, receiving the latter's daughter, Apama, as his wife.

Prusias expanded the territories of Bithynia in a series of wars against King Attalus I of Pergamon and Heraclea Pontica on the Black Sea, taking various cities formerly owned by the Heracleans and renaming one of them, Cierus, to Prusias after himself.^[3] While besieging Heraclea Pontica, Prusias was hit with a stone while climbing a ladder and broke his leg; the siege was lifted due to his injury, even though the besieged city was close to being captured. This is likely how he was given the title "the lame".^[3] He was brother-in-law of King Philip V of Macedon.^[4] Philip V granted him the cities of Kios and Myrleia in 202 BC. Prusias renamed these cities as Prusias (present-day Bursa, Turkey) and Apameia respectively.^[5] Although he granted sanctuary to Hannibal, who successfully employed an odd stratagem against the Pergamene for him at sea,^[6] he remained neutral during the war between the Roman Republic and the Seleucid Empire, refusing an alliance with the Seleucid King Antiochus III.^[7] He agreed on peace terms with presumably Eumenes II of Pergamon in 183 BC, in the city of Cyzicus.^[8] Apama bore him a son with the same name, who later succeeded him.

• Prusias ad Hypium, ancient city in Düzce Province, Turkey

• Habicht, Christian, s.v. Prusias I., RE. Bd. ХХШ, 1. 1957