Alexander the Great’s Empire at Its Greatest Extent (323 BC)

Hand-painted and historically researched map of the empire of Alexander the Great at its greatest extent, around the year 323 BC. The map is written in Ancient Greek, rendered in a calligraphic style modeled on preserved contemporary papyri. This is especially visible in letterforms such as the omega, which—like all lettering on the map—is capitalized in keeping with ancient epigraphic conventions.

Flanking the title are two reproductions of contemporary mosaics depicting Alexander the Great, drawn from surviving Hellenistic visual traditions. After succeeding his father, Philip II, as king of Macedon, Alexander rapidly established himself as hegemon of the Greek world before launching his campaign against the Persian Empire. Advancing as far east as the Indian subcontinent before turning back, Alexander conquered the core of the known world and beyond, laying the foundations for the Wars of the Diadochi and the emergence of the Hellenistic era.

This map is available as a high-quality giclée print in multiple sizes. Fine details may appear softened in online images due to compression. The piece required approximately six weeks to research, draft, and paint, with research assistance provided by Arjun Srirangarajan, Ph.D. candidate at UCLA.

This map was researched and hand-painted by a trained historical cartographer with academic experience in European and global history. Each CartographyCraft map is designed to prioritize historical accuracy, visual clarity, and period-appropriate aesthetics over modern anachronism. If you are interested in a print with a frame or the original, contact the site owner directly.