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1 - Introduction

Formation and Diffusion of the Alexander Legend

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 January 2022

By
Richard Stoneman
Edited by
Richard Stoneman
Richard Stoneman
Affiliation:
University of Exeter
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Summary

The introduction briefly surveys Alexander’s historical career before going on to describe the development of his legend in the various Greek and Latin versions of the Alexander Romance, which continued to be rewritten (as the Historia de Proeliis) to the end of the Middle Ages. It also provides the context for the contributions surveying the Jewish, Persian, Arabic, Spanish, Slavic, French and German receptions of Alexander in literature, as well as his impact as a political role model in the Crusades, Muslim expansion and the world-dominating ambitions of early modern Europe. It concludes with a glance at the contested figure of Alexander and his homeland of Macedonia, in the present-day Balkans.

Keywords

Alexander RomanceJulius ValeriusHistoria de ProeliisWalter of ChâtillonSyriacPersianPersiaQur’anMacedonia
Type
Chapter
Information
A History of Alexander the Great in World Culture , pp. 1 - 13
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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References

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  • Introduction
  • Edited by Richard Stoneman, University of Exeter
  • Book: A History of Alexander the Great in World Culture
  • Online publication: 13 January 2022
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316711798.002
Available formats
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Save book to Dropbox

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  • Introduction
  • Edited by Richard Stoneman, University of Exeter
  • Book: A History of Alexander the Great in World Culture
  • Online publication: 13 January 2022
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316711798.002
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Introduction
  • Edited by Richard Stoneman, University of Exeter
  • Book: A History of Alexander the Great in World Culture
  • Online publication: 13 January 2022
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316711798.002
Available formats
×