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14 - Alexander in Medieval Arab Minds

Archetype of Kings, Magnificent Warrior, and Custodian of Philosophy and Divine Principles

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 January 2022

By
Faustina Doufikar-Aerts
Edited by
Richard Stoneman
Richard Stoneman
Affiliation:
University of Exeter
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Summary

Alexander the Great attained universal fame for having explored the entire world in his days. Indeed, in world literature his portrayal as the crown of kingship surpassed all boundaries of transmission and exchange. In the Arabic and Islamic world a multifaceted image unfolded in an array of texts, staging Alexander as an exemplary prince, a devoted leader, explorer of terra incognita and seeker of wisdom. On the basis of lesser-known and still unclosed sources written in Arabic this chapter will shed light on the development and formative stages of this rich and marvellous Oriental Alexander tradition.

Keywords

Arabic Alexander traditionSecretum SecretorumDhū ’l-QarnaynSīrat al-IskandarQuzmān recensionAlexander Magnus Arabicus
Type
Chapter
Information
A History of Alexander the Great in World Culture , pp. 308 - 333
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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