Document Type
Honors Project
Abstract
Alexander the Great, ruler of Macedonia and conqueror of much of the eastern Mediterranean world in the fourth century BCE, figures prominently in folklore for centuries afterward. This paper analyzes several stories about Alexander to explore the intersections among history, myth and identity. By looking at accounts of Alexander written by Jews living in Alexandria in the Roman period, by early Byzantine Christians and by medieval Persian Muslims, I demonstrate that communities from all over the Mediterranean used myths about Alexander to redefine their identity in response to catastrophic changes.
Recommended Citation
Mayer, James, "Mythological History, Identity Formation, and the Many Faces of Alexander the Great" (2011). Classical Mediterranean and Middle East Honors Projects. 11.
https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/classics_honors/11
Included in
Ancient History, Greek and Roman through Late Antiquity Commons, Byzantine and Modern Greek Commons, Cultural History Commons, Intellectual History Commons, Islamic World and Near East History Commons, Social History Commons
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Comments
Advisor: Prof. Beth Severy-Hoven