Book contents
- The Cambridge Companion to Alexander the Great
- Cambridge Companions to the Ancient World
- The Cambridge Companion to Alexander the Great
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Maps
- Abbreviations
- Notes on Contributors
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- Part I Alexander’s Life and Career
- Part II Contexts
- Part III The Historical and Biographical Tradition
- Part IV The Ancient World’s Memory of Alexander
- 26 The Successors and the Image of Alexander
- 27 Alexander and The Roman Emperors
- 28 The Alexander Romance
- 29 Alexander in Jewish and Early Christian Literature
- 30 Alexander in Ancient Art
- Alexander’s Timeline 356–321 BC
- References
- Index
- Cambridge Companions to the Ancient World
28 - The Alexander Romance
from Part IV - The Ancient World’s Memory of Alexander
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 January 2024
- The Cambridge Companion to Alexander the Great
- Cambridge Companions to the Ancient World
- The Cambridge Companion to Alexander the Great
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Maps
- Abbreviations
- Notes on Contributors
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- Part I Alexander’s Life and Career
- Part II Contexts
- Part III The Historical and Biographical Tradition
- Part IV The Ancient World’s Memory of Alexander
- 26 The Successors and the Image of Alexander
- 27 Alexander and The Roman Emperors
- 28 The Alexander Romance
- 29 Alexander in Jewish and Early Christian Literature
- 30 Alexander in Ancient Art
- Alexander’s Timeline 356–321 BC
- References
- Index
- Cambridge Companions to the Ancient World
Summary
The so-called Alexander Romance is the most widely read text about Alexander from the ancient world. An unknown author composed this fantastical piece of Greek historical fiction, which narrates Alexander’s entire life, deeds, and death in an extraordinary fashion. The three books of inventive prose narrative, embedded with about 280 lines of verse, are bookended by stories of the king’s conception (1.1–14) and funeral (3.34). Here the text is appreciated in its ancient context, with the provision of an overview of its central issues, potential solutions to them, and possible future directions for study. Several significant matters are focused on: the constitution of the original Greek text of the Alexander Romance; its problematic dating; its contents and structure; its various sources; its characterization of Alexander; its generic classification; and the possible contexts for its original composition.
Keywords
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Cambridge Companion to Alexander the Great , pp. 452 - 470Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2024