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How was Alexander the Great - controversial king, conqueror, explorer, and pupil of Aristotle, the subject of histories, romances, epic poetry, satires, and sermons in most of the languages of Europe and the Middle East - rewritten and read in the High Middle Ages? The book addresses this large question in a northern French and British context, considering Alexander narratives in Latin, varieties of French and English alongside other prestigious inheritedtales, such as stories of Arthur and Troy. Aiming to illuminate not only the conqueror's history but also the fast-changing and complex literary landscape that existed between 1150 and 1350, the book takes a multilingual and comparative approach to linguistic, literary and political cultures in this era, moving away from interpretations driven by nationalism to set the wide-ranging phenomenon that is Alexander in a truly transnational context.
List of contents
Introduction
Alexander in Antiquity
Sic et Non: The Alexandreis and the Ylias
Anxious Romance: The Roman d'Alexandre, the Roman de Troie, and Cligès
Insular Alexander? The Roman de toute chevalerie and the Roman de Horn
English and International? Kyng Alisaunder, Of Arthour and of Merlin, and The Seege or Batayle of Troie
Conclusion
Appendix 1 Chronology
Appendix 2 Narrative Summaries
Bibliography
Index
About the author
Venetia Bridges
Summary
An investigation into the depiction and reception of the figure of Alexander in the literatures of medieval Europe.
