What Early Christians Said About Alexander
Early Christians usually mentioned Alexander the Great as a pagan king, a marker of world history, or an example in debates about idols and empires. Writers like Justin Martyr, Athenagoras, Clement of Alexandria, Minucius Felix, Cyprian, and Hippolytus used him in those settings. A smaller set of texts links Alexander to Daniel’s visions and the breakup of his kingdom. They do not present him as a Christian teacher or a model of faith.
120 early-church witnesses · 197 source quotations · compared with Scripture
What did early Christians believe about alexander the Great?
Early Christians did not treat Alexander the Great as a Christian figure; they used him mainly as a well-known historical king and as a pagan witness in arguments against false gods. Justin Martyr, Athenagoras, Clement of Alexandria, Minucius Felix, Cyprian, Hippolytus, and others mention Alexander to show that kings change, empires pass, idols are dead men, or the Greek kingdoms fit Daniel’s vision.
A few writers also mention Alexander in biblical history, especially in comments on Daniel and on the split of his kingdom into four parts. The evidence is broad across the 2nd and 3rd centuries, but it is mixed in purpose: most references are indirect, and only a few directly comment on Alexander himself rather than using him as an example. Many more early Christian quotations, Bible passages, and source links are gathered below so you can study the evidence for yourself.
Key Takeaways
- Early Christian writers used Alexander the Great mainly as a historical example, not as a faith example.
- Several writers used Alexander in arguments against pagan gods and idol worship.
- Hippolytus and other writers connected Alexander with Daniel’s visions and the four-part division of his kingdom.
- The direct early Christian discussion is broad, but most references are indirect.
Questions Answered by the Sources
Did early Christians use Alexander the Great as an example of pagan deification?
Several early Christian apologists cite Alexander to argue that pagans made men into gods. In these passages, Alexander appears as a historical example used to expose the emptiness of pagan worship.
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Clement of Alexandria, Exhortation to the Heathen Direct teaching
... idols and worshippers of stones. For these have dared to make men into gods. For example, there is Alexander of Macedon, whom they canonized as the thirteenth god. But Babylon refuted his claims by showing him dead. Therefore I admire the divine sophist. His name was Theocritus. After Alexander's death, Theocritus held up to ridicule before his fellow citizens the vain opinions men had about the gods. He said, "Men, keep up your hearts as long as you see the gods dying sooner than men." And truly, he who worships visible gods, and the promiscuous rabble of creatures begotten and born, and attaches himself to them, is a far more wretched object than the very demons. For God is by no manner of means unrighteous, as the demons are, but in the very highest degree righteous. And nothing more resembles God than one of us when he becomes righteous in the highest possible degree:—
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Clement of Alexandria, Exhortation to the Heathen Direct teaching
For these have dared to deify men, — Alexander of Macedon, for example, whom they canonized as the thirteenth god, whose pretensions Babylon confuted, which showed him dead.
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Minucius Felix, Octavius Direct teaching
Alexander the Great, the celebrated Macedonian, wrote in a remarkable document addressed to his mother, that under fear of his power there had been betrayed to him by the priest the secret of the gods having been men: to her he makes Vulcan the original of all, and then the race of Jupiter.
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Cyprian, Treatises Supporting witness
Proving that this is so, Alexander the Great writes in the remarkable volume addressed to his mother, that through fear of his power the doctrine of the gods being men, which was kept secret, had been disclosed to him by a priest, that it was the memory of ancestors and kings that was (really) kept up, and that from this the rites of worship and sacrifice have grown up.
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Minucius Felix, Octavius Supporting witness
...y the same names, as the line of the comic writer says: Venus grows cold without Bacchus and Ceres. Alexander the Great, the famous Macedonian, wrote in a remarkable document addressed to his mother that, out of fear of his power, a priest had revealed to him the secret that the gods had been men. To her he makes Vulcan the first of all, and then the race of Jupiter. And you behold the swallow and the cymbal of Isis, and the empty tomb of your Serapis or Osiris, with his limbs scattered about. Then consider the sacred rites themselves, and their very mysteries. You will find mournful deaths, misfortunes, funerals, and the griefs and wailings of miserable gods. Isis bewails, laments, and seeks after her lost son, with her Cynocephalus and her bald priests. The wretched worshipers of Isis beat their breasts and imitate the grief of the most unhappy mother. Then, when the little boy is found, Isis rejoices, and the priests exult, and Cynocephalus the discoverer boasts. And year by year they do not cease either to lose what they find, or to find what they lose. Is it not ridiculous either to grieve over what you worship, or to worship what you grieve over? Yet these were once Egypti
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Minucius Felix, Octavius Supporting witness
...s argues that men were adopted as gods, based on the testimony of Euhemerus, Prodicus, Persæus, and Alexander the Great, who list the countries, birth dates, and burial places of the gods. He also sets out the sad endings, disasters, and deaths of the gods. In addition, he laughs at the ridiculous and disgusting absurdities that the heathens constantly claim about the form and appearance of their gods.
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Athenagoras, A Plea for the Christians Supporting witness
Herodotus, then, and Alexander the son of Philip, in his letter to his mother (and each of them is said to have conversed with the priests at Heliopolis, and Memphis, and Thebes), affirm that they learned from them that the gods had been men.
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Athenagoras, A Plea for the Christians Supporting witness
...of a woman, but with horns like a cow, like the Greek images of Io. And who could be more worthy of belief in making these statements than those who, in family succession, son from father, received not only the priesthood but also the history? For it is not likely that the priests, who make it their business to recommend the idols to men's reverence, would falsely say that they were men. If Herodotus alone had said that the Egyptians spoke in their histories of the gods as of men, when he says, "What they told me concerning their religion I do not intend to repeat, except only the names of their deities, matters of very small importance," it would be fitting for us not even to believe Herodotus, as if he were a teller of fables. But since Alexander and Hermes, surnamed Trismegistus, who shares with them the claim of eternity, and countless others also declare the same thing, there is no room left even for doubt that they, though they were kings, were regarded as gods. That they were men is also testified by the most learned of the Egyptians. While they say that ether, earth, sun, and moon are gods, they regard the rest as mortal men, and the temples as their tombs. Apollodorus a
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Athenagoras, A Plea for the Christians Supporting witness
...estivals are held at public expense, as if to a god who can hear. So then, Neryllinus, Proteus, and Alexander—are they the ones who work these powers in connection with the statues, or is it the nature of the material itself? But the material is brass. And what can brass do by itself, when it can be made again into a different form, just as Amasis treated the footpan, as Herodotus tells? And Neryllinus, Proteus, and Alexander, what good are they to the sick? For what the image is now said to do, it also did when Neryllinus was alive and sick.
More related quotations from this section 2 shown
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Cyprian, Treatises Supporting witness
.... Instead, each people keeps the worship of its own ancestors as something distinct. To prove this, Alexander the Great writes in the notable book addressed to his mother that, because of fear of his power, a priest revealed to him the secret teaching that the gods were men. He said that what was really being preserved was the memory of ancestors and kings, and that from this the rites of worship and sacrifice had grown up. But if gods were born at some time, why are they not also born in these days? Unless, perhaps, Jupiter has grown too old, or Juno has lost the ability to bear children.
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Cyprian, Treatises Supporting witness
But if gods were born at any time, why are they not born in these days also?— unless, indeed, Jupiter possibly has grown too old, or the faculty of bearing has failed Juno.
How did early Christians connect Alexander the Great to Daniel's visions?
Hippolytus and related Bible texts use Alexander as the historical fulfillment of Daniel's Greek kingdom imagery. They identify him with the third kingdom and with the divided kingdom after the conqueror falls.
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Hippolytus, Exegetical Fragments Direct teaching
...er the gold. Then comes the third beast, a leopard, which means the Greeks. For after the Persians, Alexander of Macedon held power when Darius was overthrown, and this was also shown by the bronze in the image. And when he says that the beast had four wings of a bird and four heads, he showed very clearly how the kingdom of Alexander was divided into four parts. For when he spoke of four heads, he meant the four kings that arose out of it. For when Alexander was dying, he divided his kingdom into four parts. Then he says, "The fourth beast was dreadful and terrible: it had iron teeth, and claws of bronze." Who, then, is meant by this except the Romans, whose kingdom, the kingdom that still stands, is represented by the iron? For, he says, its legs are of iron.
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Hippolytus, Treatise on Christ and Antichrist Direct teaching
...he gold. Then there was the third beast, a leopard, which meant the Greeks. For after the Persians, Alexander of Macedon gained the ruling power by overthrowing Darius, as is also shown by the bronze on the image. And by saying that it had four wings of a bird, he taught us very clearly how the kingdom of Alexander was divided. For in speaking of four heads, he mentioned four kings, namely, those who arose out of that kingdom. For when Alexander was dying, he divided his kingdom into four parts.
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Hippolytus, Treatise on Christ and Antichrist Supporting witness
For after the Persians, Alexander of Macedon obtained the sovereign power on subverting Darius, as is also shown by the brass on the image.
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Hippolytus, Exegetical Fragments Supporting witness
for after the Persians, Alexander of Macedon had the power, when Darius was overthrown, which was also indicated by the brass in the image.
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Hippolytus, Exegetical Fragments Supporting witness
...rius, who reigned and made himself glorious, who was rich, and attacked all the kingdoms of Greece? Alexander of Macedon rose against him and destroyed his kingdom. And after he had conquered the Persians, his own kingdom was divided toward the four winds of heaven. For at his death, Alexander divided his kingdom into four principalities. And a king will arise and will enter into the fortress of the king of Egypt.
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Hippolytus, Exegetical Fragments Supporting witness
Against him rose Alexander of Macedon, who destroyed his kingdom;
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Daniel 8:8 Background
Then the goat became exceedingly great, but when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and instead of it there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven.
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Daniel 8:21 Background
And the male goat is the kingdom of Greece. The large horn that is between its eyes is the first king.
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Daniel 8:22 Background
Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.
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Daniel 11:4 Background
And as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not to his posterity, nor according to the authority with which he ruled, for his kingdom shall be plucked up and go to others besides these.
Why do early Christian writers mention Alexander the Great in history discussions?
Some writers use Alexander simply to mark chronology, compare empires, or place philosophers and rulers in time. These references are historical rather than theological.
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Justin Martyr, Hortatory Address to the Greeks Direct teaching
...s the teacher of Plato, and Plato taught Aristotle. These men thrived during the time of Philip and Alexander of Macedon, when the Athenian orators also flourished, as the Philippics of Demosthenes clearly show. Those who have recounted the deeds of Alexander clearly prove that during his reign, Aristotle was associated with him. With all available evidence, it is clear that the history of Moses is much older than all non-religious histories. Moreover, it's important for you to understand that nothing was accurately recorded by the Greeks before the era of the Olympiads, and there is no ancient work detailing any actions of the Greeks or Barbarians. Before that period, there existed only the history of the prophet Moses, which he wrote in Hebrew by divine inspiration. The Greek alphabet was not yet in use, as language experts inform us, saying that Cadmus first brought the letters from Phoenicia to the Greeks. Your first philosopher, Plato, confirms they were a recent discovery. In the "Timaeus," he wrote that Solon, the wisest of the wise men, upon returning from Egypt, told Critias that he heard from a very old Egyptian priest who said to him, “O Solon, Solon, you Greeks are a
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Justin Martyr, Hortatory Address to the Greeks Supporting witness
Now these men flourished in the time of Philip and Alexander of Macedon, in which time also the Athenian orators flourished, as the Philippics of Demosthenes plainly show us.
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Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Supporting witness
Some people count 1,828 years from Cecrops to Alexander of Macedon, and 1,250 years from Demophon. From the capture of Troy to the expedition of the Heraclidae, they count either 120 years or 180 years. From that time to the archonship of Evaenetus at Athens, during whose time Alexander is said to have marched into Asia, there are, according to Phanias, 750 years; according to Ephorus, 735; according to Timaeus and Clitarchus, 820; and according to Eratosthenes, 774. Duris also says that from the capture of Troy to Alexander’s march into Asia there were 1,000 years, and from that time to the archonship of Hegesias, during whose time Alexander died, 11 years. From this date to the reign of Germanicus Claudius Caesar there were 365 years. From that time, the total number of years up to the death of Commodus is clear.
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Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Supporting witness
Alexander of Macedon, having dispatched this Darius, began to reign during this period. Similarly, therefore, the times of the Macedonian kings are calculated as follows: Alexander, eighteen years; Ptolemy the son of Lagus, forty years; Ptolemy Philadelphus, twenty-seven years; then Euergetes, twenty-five years; then Philopator, seventeen years; then Epiphanes, twenty-four years. He was succeeded by Philometer, who reigned thirty-five years. After him came Physcon, twenty-nine years; then Lathurus, thirty-six years; then the one surnamed Dionysus, twenty-nine years; and last Cleopatra reigned twenty-two years. And after her was the reign of the Cappadocians for eighteen days.
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Julius Africanus, Extant Writings Supporting witness
...hat refused to obey. Up to this time, the Lagidae had ruled, and the whole length of the Macedonian empire after the overthrow of Persian power was 298 years. In this way, the whole period is counted from the founding of the Macedonian empire to its overthrow in the time of the Ptolemies, and under Cleopatra, the last of them. The date of that event was the 11th year of the rule and empire of the Romans, and the 4th year of the 187th Olympiad. Altogether, 5,472 years are counted from Adam.
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Tertullian, An Answer to the Jews Supporting witness
Then, after Alexander, who had reigned over both Medes and Persians, whom he had reconquered, and had established his kingdom firmly in Alexandria, when withal he called that (city) by his own name; after him reigned, (there, in Alexandria,)
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Tertullian, An Answer to the Jews Supporting witness
if Alexander the Macedonian he did not hold more than universal Asia, and other regions, after he had quite conquered them;
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Origen, Against Celsus Supporting witness
but although few in number, they continued to enjoy the protection of the divine power, so that in the reign of Alexander of Macedon they sustained no injury from him, although they refused, on account of certain covenants and oaths, to take up arms against Darius.
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Origen, Against Celsus Supporting witness
They say that on that occasion the Jewish high priest, clothed in his sacred robe, received obeisance from Alexander, who declared that he had beheld an individual arrayed in this fashion, who announced to him in his sleep that he was to be the subjugator of the whole of Asia.
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Arnobius, Against the Heathen Supporting witness
Did we produce and stir into action the causes, by reason of which one youth, starting from Macedonia, subjected the kingdoms and peoples of the East to captivity and to bondage?
Common Questions
Did early Christians think Alexander the Great was a god?
No. Writers like Clement of Alexandria and Minucius Felix said pagans treated Alexander as a god, but they rejected that idea.
Why did early Christians mention Alexander the Great?
They used him as a historical example in debates about pagan religion, changing empires, and the kingdoms in Daniel.
Did early Christians link Alexander the Great to Daniel?
Yes. Hippolytus clearly connected Alexander’s kingdom with Daniel’s visions and its later division into four parts.
Source Index for Alexander the Great
The guided sections above show the strongest quotations. This compact index highlights 157 ranked source links from 197 compiled sources for deeper study.
Source index 157 ranked links shown
Early Christian Writings 80 shown of 120
Primary-source quotations from early Christian writers and church documents.
Bible Passages 77 included
Related Bible passages saved for comparison with the early Christian quotations.