Ada of Caria () (fl. 377 – 326 BC) was a member of the House of Hecatomnus (the Hecatomnids) and ruler of Caria during the mid-4th century BC, first as Persian Satrap and later as Queen under the auspices of Alexander III (the Great) of Macedon.
History
Ada was the daughter of Hecatomnus, satrap of Caria, sister of Mausolus, Pixodarus, Artemisia, and Idrieus.
While Ada's father is known to have been Hekatomnos, the identity of her mother is less clear. There is a possibility that her mother might have been Aba, daughter of Hyssaldomos and a sister of Hekatomnos. This view however is challenged by scholars who believe either that the sibling marriages of the Hecatomnids were purely symbolic in nature and that while Ada was attested as his consort, it is not known if she was the mother of Hekatomnos children.
Four of the siblings intermarried: Mausolus wed Artemisia, while Ada was married to her brother Idrieus. The joint regents were mentioned as donors to the Temple of Athena in Tegea, and seem to have also been major patrons of Delphi.
When Alexander the Great 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. After the fall of Halicarnassus, 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.
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Skeleton of Ada, Caria.jpg|Purported skeleton of Ada, Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology
File:Ada Bodrum Museum.jpg|Reconstruction of Ada, Bodrum Museum. She was 1.62m tall, and about 40 years old when she died.
File:Bodrum Museum Carian Princess 3664.jpg|Wreath of Ada, Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology
File:Bodrum Museum Carian Princess 3656.jpg|Room dedicated to the Carian Princess in the Bodrum Museum.
File:Bodrum Museum Carian Princess 3661.jpg|Jewelry worn by the princess in the sarcophagus.
File:Bodrum Museum Carian Princess 3659.jpg|Jewelry worn by the princess in the sarcophagus.
File:Bodrum Museum Carian Princess 3665.jpg|Reconstruction of the head of the deceased, aged about 40.
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Cultural depictions of Ada
Ada appears as a character in the young adult book Voice of Gods (2015) by Eleanor Herman.