Alexander the Great in the Persian tradition : history, myth and legend in medieval Iran / by Haila Manteghi.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Manteghi, Haila, author.

Series:

Library of medieval studies ; v. 8.

Library of medieval studies ; 8

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Alexander, the Great, 356 B.C.-323 B.C--In literature.

Alexander.

Alexander, the Great, 356 B.C.-323 B.C--Romances--History and criticism.

Literature and folklore--Iran.

Literature and folklore.

Literature and history--Iran.

Literature and history.

Persian literature--Themes, motives.

Persian literature.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (264 pages, 8 pages of plates) : illustrations (some color), tables

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : Bloomsbury Publishing, 2018.

Summary:

"Alexander the Great (356-333 BC) was transformed into a legend by all those he met, leaving an enduring tradition of romances across the world. Aside from its penetration into every language of medieval Europe, the Alexander romance arguably had its greatest impact in the Persian language.Haila Manteghi here offers a complete survey of that deep tradition, ranging from analysis of classical Persian poetry to popular romances and medieval Arabic historiography. She explores how the Greek work first entered the Persian literary tradition and traces the development of its influence, before revealing the remarkable way in which Alexander became as central to the Persian tradition as any other hero or king. And, importantly, by focusing on the often-overlooked early medieval Persian period, she also demonstrates that a positive view of Alexander developed in Arabic and Persian literature before the Islamic era. Drawing on an impressive range of sources in various languages - including Persian, Arabic and Greek - Manteghi provides a profound new contribution to the study of the Alexander romances.Beautifully written and with vibrant literary motifs, this book is important reading for all those with an interest in Alexander, classical and medieval Persian history, the early Islamic world and classical reception studies."--Bloomsbury Publishing.

Contents:

Chapter 1. Greek and Syriac Versions of the Alexander Romance and Their Development in the East

Chapter 2. Alexander the Great and the Legacy of Sasanian Historiography

Chapter 3. Alexander the Great in the ShĀhnĀma of Firdawsī

Chapter 4. Alexander in the IskandarnĀma of NiẒĀmĪ GanjavĪ (1141-1209)

Chapter 5. Alexander in the IqbĀlnĀma of NiẒĀmĪ GanjavĪ

Conclusion

Summary of the Syriac Alexander Romance

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Plates.

Notes:

Compliant with Level AA of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Content is displayed as HTML full text which can easily be resized or read with assistive technology, with mark-up that allows screen readers and keyboard-only users to navigate easily.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781350985230

1350985236

9781786733665

1786733668

9781786723666

1786723662

OCLC:

1114428812