Legacy of the East and legacy of Alexander / edited by Krzysztof Nawotka & Agnieszka Wojciechowska.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Nawotka, Krzysztof, editor.

Wojciechowska, Agnieszka, editor.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

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

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

Physical Description:

xviii, 443 pages : illustrations (chiefly color), maps, plans ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

Wiesbaden : Harrassowitz Verlag, 2023.

Summary:

"Words and deeds of Alexander reverberated through the ages from Hellenistic times until the Muslim Middle Ages. The tradition of his conquests and legends, best preserved in countless versions of the Alexander Romance, was a pivot of 2019 Wrocław conference, the proceedings of which are contained in this book. Encounter between the European conquerors and peoples and cultures of the East reflected in writings and works of art produced in the West and the East allow us to gauge the depth of understanding and misunderstanding of each other. Chapters in this volume confront classical literary sources with non-European writings, epigraphic, archaeological, and numismatic evidence. They investigate the complexity of the classical source tradition in order to glance beyond the limitations of the age when they were penned down. Drawing upon the methodology of the 'literary turn' in historiography they call our attention to ancient authors as conscious artists with their agenda. An attempt is made to look at the Iranian background of Alexander's policy and to verify modern hypotheses on the legacy of Alexander in Iran and Central Asia. There was cultural continuity in Iran from the Achaemenid through the Hellenistic age, likewise in Egypt, whose art was absorbing non-native influence from the Saite period. This book argues that the Western influence or Hellenization which conquests of Alexander brought to the heartland of the Persian empire, to its eastern part and Egypt was limited. It shows that there were more features the last Persian king of Egypt, Darius III, and the first Macedonian pharoah Alexander, had in common than is generally recognized. In principal this book professes the idea that one needs to strike a balance between continuity and change, both in Egypt and the East under Alexander and Hellenistic kings."--Back cover.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9783447121323

3447121327

OCLC:

1432073409

Publisher Number:

9783447121323