Alexander the Great : From His Death to the Present Day

An illustrious scholar presents an elegant, concise, and generously illustrated exploration of Alexander the Great’s representations in art and literature through the ages John Boardman is one of the world’s leading authorities on ancient Greece, and his acclaimed books command a broad readership. In this book, he looks beyond the life of Alexander the Great in order to examine the astonishing range of Alexanders created by generations of authors, historians, and artists throughout the world―from Scotland to China. Alexander’s defeat of the Persian Empire in 331 BC captured the popular imagination, inspiring an endless series of stories and representations that emerged shortly after his death and continues today. An art historian and archaeologist, Boardman draws on his deep knowledge of Alexander and the ancient world to reflect on the most interesting and emblematic depictions of this towering historical figure. Some of the stories in this book relate to historical events associated with Alexander’s military career and some to the fantasy that has been woven around him, and Boardman relates each with his customary verve and erudition. From Alexander’s biographers in ancient Greece to the illustrated Alexander “Romances” of the Middle Ages to operas, films, and even modern cartoons, this generously illustrated volume takes readers on a fascinating cultural journey as it delivers a perfect pairing of subject and author. Alexander's defeat of the Persian Empire in 331 BC captured the popular imagination, inspiring an endless series of stories and representations that emerged shortly after his death and continues today. An art historian and archaeologist, Boardman draws on his deep knowledge of Alexander and the ancient world to reflect on the most interesting and emblematic depictions of this towering historical figure.0Some of the stories in this book relate to historical events associated with Alexander's military career and some to the fantasy that has been woven around him, and Boardman relates each with his customary verve and erudition. From Alexander's biographers in ancient Greece to the illustrated Alexander "Romances" of the Middle Ages to operas, films, and even modern cartoons, this generously illustrated volume takes readers on a fascinating cultural journey as it delivers a perfect pairing of subject and author This book looks beyond the life of Alexander the Great in order to examine the astonishing range of Alexanders created by generations of authors, historians, and artists throughout the world, from Scotland to China. Alexander's defeat of the Persian Empire in 331 BC captured the popular imagination, inspiring an endless series of stories and representations that emerged shortly after his death and continues today. The book reflects on the most interesting and emblematic depictions of this towering historical figure. Some of the stories relate to historical events associated with Alexander's military career and some to the fantasy that has been woven around him. From Alexander's biographers in ancient Greece to the illustrated Alexander “Romances” of the Middle Ages to operas, films, and even modern cartoons, this illustrated volume takes readers on a fascinating cultural journey. Cover Title page Copyright page Contents Preface Abbreviations Introduction I His Biographers Contemporaries II His Body and Burial Color plate III The Alexander Portraits in Antiquity IV The Alexander Romances in the Middle Ages His Parentage His Wives and Lovers His Horse Bucephalus His Ingenuity The Other Romances Seriously, Though—Nectanebo? V The Persian Alexander/Iskander VI The Indian Alexander VII The Alexander Story in the Renaissance and Down to the Present Day Latest Mediaeval and Renaissance England The European Renaissance Seventeenth- to Eighteenth- Century France and Britain Eighteenth- to Nineteenth- Century European Arts and Literature Twentieth- Century Britain VIII Alexander, Star of Film, Stage, and Novel IX Fellow Travellers, Marco Polo to TV Marco Polo Modern Travellers Envoi Index