Dhul-Qarnayn and the Alexander Romance: Difference between revisions

The gargantuan conquests of Alexander the Great, stretching from Macedonia in the West to the river Indus in the East, left an indelible mark on all the regions where his troopers trode. Alexander founded cities, declared himself a god and the son of a god, solved the famous Gordian knot, initiated a new chapter in the history of civilizational exchange and spread Greek Hellenic culture far and wide. Dying at 33 of either alcohol overdose or perhaps poisoning, his legend quickly became larger than life. First Jews and then Christians claimed his as their own. Separately to the Greek recensions of the ''Alexander Romance'' traditions (known as ''Pseudo-Callisthenes''), a Syriac Legend with a distinctive storyline bears a close resemblance to the Quranic passage. This ''Syriac Alexander Legend'' has been intensively studied and academic scholars now date its composition to the mid sixth century CE, with a small interpolation around 629-630 CE to update it for a later situation (previously, the prevailing opinion had been that the entire text dated to 629-636 CE; see dating sections below). As the legend of Alexander spread, so too did the claims of his miraculous deeds grow in scope and size.