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Primary sourceDocument9 BC

Priene Calendar Inscription

Koinon of Asia · 9 BC

A stone inscription from the Roman province of Asia recording the decision to re-base the local calendar on Augustus's birthday.

This provincial decree reshaped the calendar around Augustus's birthday, showing how his image was celebrated as divine across the empire.

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Black-and-white photograph of a rectangular stone block covered in closely carved Greek inscription lines in rows. The upper right corner is broken away and shadowed, and the surface shows weathering.
Priene calendar inscription, 9 BC. Fragments held in the Pergamon Museum, Berlin.

About this source

What it is

This inscribed stone, found at the ancient city of Priene in western Turkey, records an edict by the proconsul Paullus Fabius Maximus and a decree by the provincial assembly of Asia, both from 9 BC. Fragments are now held in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin.

Why it matters

The inscription changed the provincial calendar so the new year began on Augustus's birthday, calling his birth good news for the world. It shows how provincial leaders in Asia honoured Augustus almost as a divine saviour figure, revealing how ruler worship spread through the empire even though it was not something Augustus directly wrote.

Look closer

  • Who actually wrote this text, and why might they want to flatter the emperor?
  • What does calling Augustus's birthday 'good news' tell you about how people talked about rulers at the time?
  • What is missing from this official, celebratory text?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Augustus on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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