The twelfth century Old French Romance of Alexander (c1180) compiled by Alexandre de Paris is widely regarded as the most important medieval version of the legend of Alexander the Great. The story of the king’s birth, his invasion of Asia and defeat of the...
More
The twelfth century Old French Romance of Alexander (c1180) compiled by Alexandre de Paris is widely regarded as the most important medieval version of the legend of Alexander the Great. The story of the king’s birth, his invasion of Asia and defeat of the Persian king Darius, the campaign in India and his death in Babylon are supplemented by many marvellous episodes including his ascent into the heavens and his exploration of the sea in a diving bell. Full of fantastic creatures and heroic deeds Alexandre’s poem created a unified account from the work of several earlier poets and presented in his depiction of the Macedonian king a complex and ambiguous figure whose life and death pose challenging questions of destiny and immortality.
For the first time an abridged translation of this important work is made available to English readers.
Less
