Ada of Caria

Who is Ada of Caria?

Ada of Caria was a ruler of Caria in the 4th century BC, first the nominal Persian Satrap, who enjoyed the status of queen or dynast by virtue of the powerful position her predecessors of the House of Hecatomnus created when they succeeded the assassinated Persian Satrap Tissaphernes in the Carian satrapy, and later the nominal Queen of Caria under the auspices of Alexander III of Macedon.

Ada was the daughter of Hecatomnus, satrap of Caria, and sister of Mausolus, Artemisia, Idrieus, and Pixodarus. She was married to her brother Idrieus, who succeeded Artemisia in 351 BC and died in 344 BC. On the death of her husband Ada became satrap of Caria, but was expelled by her brother Pixodarus in 340 BC; and on the death of the latter in 335 BC his son-in-law Orontobates received the satrapy of Caria from the Persian Great King.

When Alexander the Great entered Caria in 334 BC, Ada, who was in possession of the fortress of Alinda, surrendered the fortress to him. After taking Halicarnassus, Alexander committed the government of Caria to her; she, in turn, formally adopted Alexander as her son, ensuring that the rule of Caria passed unconditionally to him upon her eventual death; Ada's popularity with the populace in turn ensured the Carians' loyalty to Alexander.