Skip to main content

Primary sourceDocumentc. 330 BC

Priene Inscription

Alexander the Great · c. 330 BC

A marble wall block recording Alexander's own dedication of a temple to Athena Polias in the city of Priene.

This inscription records Alexander's own dedication of a temple, showing his patronage of Greek sanctuaries he conquered.

Ask Alexander the Great about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
Photograph of a weathered marble block inscribed with three lines of carved Greek capital letters, lit against a grey wall in a museum. The text reads 'Basileus Alexandros' at the top line's start, followed by further inscribed letters.
Dedication of Alexander the Great to Athena Polias, Priene Inscription, c. 330 BC. British Museum.

About this source

What it is

This marble wall block, inscribed in ancient Greek on both sides, records that King Alexander dedicated the temple of Athena Polias at Priene, in modern Turkey. It dates to around 330 BC and was found at the temple site in the 1860s by the architect Richard Pullan. It is now held in the British Museum.

Why it matters

After crossing into Asia and defeating the Persians at the Granicus, Alexander toured the Ionian coast, expelling Persian garrisons and supporting Greek cities. This inscription shows him acting not just as a conqueror but as a patron of Greek religious life, funding the completion of a major temple and resolving local land disputes.

Look closer

  • Why would Alexander want his name permanently carved onto a temple wall?
  • What does this tell us about how he tried to win support from Greek cities in Asia?
  • What is missing from this short inscription about the wider context of his campaign?

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

More Alexander the Great sources

Meet the AI Alexander the Great →
Detail of the Alexander Mosaic: a large ancient mosaic of a battle scene, with riders on horseback, spears raised, and fallen figures, in warm earth tones with a decorative border.Artifact

Secondary source

Alexander Mosaic

Philoxenus of Eretria · c. 120-100 BCE (copy of an earlier Hellenistic painting)

Medieval manuscript page with a pen-and-ink drawing in a blue and red border of a crowned rider on a horse, holding a raised sword, with Latin text above, beside and below the image.Painting

Secondary source

Alexander the Great riding Bucephalus

1460

Reverse side of a silver coin showing a seated Zeus holding an eagle on his outstretched left hand and a scepter in his right, with the inscription ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ on the right and ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ below.Artifact

Primary source

Silver Tetradrachm of Alexander the Great

Royal mints of Alexander III · c. 336-323 BCE

Oil painting of a reclining young man in a white tunic and red blanket, drinking from a gold cup held by an attendant. An older bearded man in a yellow cloak reads a scroll at left, and two standing men, one shirtless with a blue cloak, one in an orange tunic, look on. A spear, shield and helmet hang on the wall.Painting

Secondary source

Alexander the Great on his Sickbed

1806

Title page of a 1575 printed edition of Arrian's Anabasis of Alexander, in Greek and Latin. Title lines read Arrianou peri anabaseos Alexandrou, with Arriani De expedit. Alex. Magni, Historiarum Libri VIII. Woodcut of a man beneath a tree with a banner reading Nolo Altum Sapere.Book

Secondary source

Anabasis of Alexander

Arrian · c. 150 AD

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Alexander the Great now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions