Ada of Caria ( grc, Ἄδα) (
fl. 377 – 326 BC)
[377 BC is the date of her father's death: ] was a member of the House of Hecatomnus (the
Hecatomnids
The Hecatomnid dynasty or Hecatomnids were the rulers of Caria and surrounding areas BCE.
The Hecatomnids were satraps (governors) under the Achaemenid Empire, although they ruled with considerable autonomy, and established a hereditary dynas ...
) and ruler of
Caria
Caria (; from Greek: Καρία, ''Karia''; tr, Karya) was a region of western Anatolia extending along the coast from mid- Ionia (Mycale) south to Lycia and east to Phrygia. The Ionian and Dorian Greeks colonized the west of it and joined ...
during the mid-4th century BC, first as
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
Satrap and later as Queen under the auspices of
Alexander III (the Great) of Macedon.
History
Ada was the daughter of
Hecatomnus
Hecatomnus of Mylasa or Hekatomnos ( el, Ἑκατόμνος, Carian: 𐊴𐊭𐊪𐊵𐊫 ''k̂tmno'' “under-son, descendant(?)”) was an early 4th-century BC ruler of Caria. He was the satrap (governor) of Caria for the Persian Achaemenid k ...
,
satrap of
Caria
Caria (; from Greek: Καρία, ''Karia''; tr, Karya) was a region of western Anatolia extending along the coast from mid- Ionia (Mycale) south to Lycia and east to Phrygia. The Ionian and Dorian Greeks colonized the west of it and joined ...
, sister of
Mausolus
Mausolus ( grc, Μαύσωλος or , xcr, 𐊠𐊸𐊫𐊦 ''Mauśoλ'') was a ruler of Caria (377–353 BCE) and a satrap of the Achaemenid Empire. He enjoyed the status of king or dynast by virtue of the powerful position created by ...
,
Pixodarus
Pixodarus or Pixodaros (in Lycian 𐊓𐊆𐊜𐊁𐊅𐊀𐊕𐊀 ''Pixedara''; in Greek Πιξώδαρoς; ruled 340–334 BC), was a satrap of Caria, nominally the Achaemenid Empire Satrap, who enjoyed the status of king or dynast by virtue ...
,
Artemisia
Artemisia may refer to:
People
* Artemisia I of Caria (fl. 480 BC), queen of Halicarnassus under the First Persian Empire, naval commander during the second Persian invasion of Greece
* Artemisia II of Caria (died 350 BC), queen of Caria under th ...
, and
Idrieus
Idrieus, or Hidrieus ( grc, Ἱδριεύς, Hidrieús; died 344 BC) was a ruler of Caria as a Satrap under the Achaemenid Empire. Alongside his sister and wife Ada, he enjoyed the status of king or dynast by virtue of the powerful position he ...
.
[Sears, Matthew A. (2014). p.213] Four of the siblings intermarried: Mausolus wed Artemisia, while Ada was married to her brother Idrieus.
Pixodarus married outside of the family.
Every child of Hecatomnus would govern over Caria at some point.
Mausolus and Artemisia first ruled together,
and after Mausolus' death, Artemisia ruled alone until she died in 344 BC.
Idrieus and Ada ruled together for four years, until his death.
During their rule, they kept close ties to the Hellenic world.
[Sears, Matthew A. (2014). p.217] The joint regents were mentioned as donors to the Temple of
Athena
Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretism, syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarded ...
in
Tegea
Tegea (; el, Τεγέα) was a settlement in ancient Arcadia, and it is also a former municipality in Arcadia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the Tripoli municipality, of which it is a municipal un ...
, and seem to have also been major patrons of
Delphi.
After the death of her husband, Ada became the sole
satrap of Caria, but was expelled by her brother Pixodarus in 340 BC. Upon his death in 335 BC, was succeeded by his own son-in-law, the Persian
Orontobates. Ada fled to the fortress of
Alinda
Alinda ( grc, Ἄλινδα) was an inland city and bishopric in ancient Caria, in Asia Minor ( Anatolia). Modern scholars identify Alinda with the Hellenistic foundation of Alexandria ad Latmum (Ἀλεξάνδρεια πρὸς τῷ Λάτμ ...
, where she maintained her rule in exile.
When
Alexander the Great
Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip II to ...
entered Caria in 334 BC, Ada adopted Alexander as her son and surrendered Alinda to him. Alexander accepted her offer and, in return, gave Ada formal command of the
Siege of Halicarnassus
The siege of Halicarnassus was fought between Alexander the Great and the Achaemenid Persian Empire in 334 BC. Alexander, who had no navy, was constantly being threatened by the Persian navy. It continuously attempted to provoke an engagement ...
. After the fall of
Halicarnassus
Halicarnassus (; grc, Ἁλικαρνᾱσσός ''Halikarnāssós'' or ''Alikarnāssós''; tr, Halikarnas; Carian: 𐊠𐊣𐊫𐊰 𐊴𐊠𐊥𐊵𐊫𐊰 ''alos k̂arnos'') was an ancient Greek city in Caria, in Anatolia. It was located i ...
, Alexander returned Alinda to Ada and made her queen of all of Caria. Ada's popularity with the populace in turn ensured the Carians' loyalty to Alexander.
She was under the protection of
Asander
Asander or Asandros ( el, Άσανδρoς; lived 4th century BC) was the brother of Parmenion and Agathon, and uncle of Philotas. He was a Macedonian general under Alexander the Great, and satrap of Lydia from 334 BC as well as satrap of Caria ...
, Hellenistic satrap of
Lydia.
File:Alinda Agora.JPG, Agora of Alinda
Alinda ( grc, Ἄλινδα) was an inland city and bishopric in ancient Caria, in Asia Minor ( Anatolia). Modern scholars identify Alinda with the Hellenistic foundation of Alexandria ad Latmum (Ἀλεξάνδρεια πρὸς τῷ Λάτμ ...
, Ada's Stronghold.
File:The siege and capture of Halicarnassus under Alexander the Great.jpg, The siege and capture of Halicarnassus under Alexander the Great
Ada sarcophagus
According to Turkish archaeologists, the tomb of Ada has been discovered, although this claim remains unresolved. Her remains are on display in the archaeological museum of Bodrum.
Notes
References
*E.D. Carney, "Women and Dunasteia in Caria", ''American Journal of Philology'' 126 (2005), pp. 65–91.
*W. Heckel, ''Who’s Who in the Age of Alexander the Great'', Oxford (Blackwell), 2006, p. 3
*Attilio Mastrocinque, ''La Caria e la Ionia meridionale in epoca ellenistica, 323-188 a. C.'' (Rome, 1979)
*Stephen Ruzicka, ''Politics of a Persian dynasty : the Hecatomnids in the fourth century B.C.'' (1992)
*
Simon Hornblower
Simon Hornblower, FBA (born 1949) is an English classicist and academic. He is Professor of Classics and Ancient History in the University of Oxford and senior research fellow of All Souls College, Oxford.
Biography
Born in 1949, he was educate ...
, ''Mausolus'' (1982)
*
Livius
by Jona Lendering
from Smith, ''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'' (1867)
Includes a picture of the skeleton of Ada.
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ada of Caria
Carian people
People from Muğla
Achaemenid satraps of Caria
Satraps of the Alexandrian Empire
4th-century BC women rulers
Hecatomnid dynasty