[1] Built around 350 BC,[1] its construction was sponsored by Alexander the Great during his anabasis to the Persian Empire.

It was believed to have been constructed and designed by Pytheos, who was the architect of the great Mausoleum of Halikarnassos, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

[3] The first record of modern discovery is Jacob Spon and George Wheler visiting in the 17th century.

[4] The next recorded of this site was in 1764-65 when Richard Chandler had his Asia Minor expedition funded by the Society of Dilettanti.

[6] Since then, excavation has been done by German archaeologists,[5] most significantly the 1895-99 studies by Theodor Wiegand and Hans Schrader.

[7] After Alexander the Great gained his victory at Granicus River in 334 BC, he dedicated the Temple to Athena Polias by funding the cost of construction.

[10] From the architecture decoration style, the capitals of pillars were constructed in the 4th century BC.

A feature of the first construction phase was the moulding shape and size was similar to other great temples.

Only the upper sections dated after mid-2nd century BC survive and these were estimated to consist two-thirds of the ceiling and roof.

[10] King Oropherenes of Cappadocia (reigned c. 158-156 BC) sponsored the temple construction, so did other Prienian buildings.

The temple construction, itself, was a continuing process of the Prienian people and major part of Priene's history.

[14] This was due to Priene’s river, Maeander, becoming a lake, as muds blocked the entrance, causing gnats to breed in vast swarms.

During Augustus's reign, the Roman Empire financially supported the completion of the temple.

[16] It was because the metals of the cella doorway remained during the third excavation in 1868 and locals or invaders usually loot precious bronze if they discovered it.

However, While the Britannia Encyclopaedia claimed it is a typical pure Ionic style, Gruben suggested that older elements were combined.

[18][19] Gruben stated his claim from the harmonious dimension ratio which was the exact integral multiples of the attic feet (29.46 cm (11.60 in)).

[21] Pytheos was the architect of both the temple and Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, which is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

[26] The new statue remained of Athena but was a copy of the gold and ivory version by Phidias in Athens.

[26] It was a standing statue of Athena, with calm facial expression and holding a spear and a shield, wearing a helmet.

[27] The new statue was made by an acrolithic mix, which only surfaces were marble, and internals were woods.

[24] The 65 cm square coffer "lid" utilized the technique of step overlaps and interlock, which also appeared at the Mausoleum.

An Anatolian mother goddess, Cybele was craved on a coffer and rode a lion.