The Image of Alexander the Great in Persian History, Epic and Romance

Charles Melville; Firuza Abdullaeva

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18 The Image of Alexander the Great in Persian History, Epic and Romance

In: The Medieval Chronicle 15

Authors:

Charles Melville

Charles Melville
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Firuza Abdullaeva

Firuza Abdullaeva
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Type:: Chapter

Pages:: 212–227

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004547124_019

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Abstract

The figure of Alexander the Great (Iskandar) features large in the historical and romantic literature of East and West. This paper compares the treatment of Alexander in different genres of Persian writings, particularly the way his career is illustrated in manuscript painting. We see, first, an enormous corpus of images depicting scenes from the early eleventh-century epic poem, the Shahnama of Firdausi, in manuscripts dating from the early fourteenth century to the early modern period. We then see how a later literary development of Firdausi’s work in the romance epic by the twelfth-century poet Nizami treats Iskandar’s life as a philosopher and seeker of truth. In striking contrast, only a handful of Persian chronicles purporting to provide a ‘historical’ account of his reign, which are also illustrated from the fourteenth century, depict only two episodes: Iskandar and the dying Dara (Darius) and Iskandar entering the northern darkness. This visual repertoire remains constant regardless of the text, but it is remarkable that the self-identified historical works contain a far more restrained illustrative programme than those that aim for a more popular audience with a strongly narrative and mystical purpose.

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The Medieval Chronicle 15

Essays in Honour of Erik Kooper

Series: The Medieval Chronicle, Volume: 15

E-Book ISBN:: 9789004547124

Publisher:: BRILL

Print Publication Date:: 06 Jun 2023

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18 The Image of Alexander the Great in Persian History, Epic and Romance

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The Medieval Chronicle 15

Essays in Honour of Erik Kooper

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