The Alexander Romance in the Orthodox Slavic World - The Transmission of a Classic Text

Alexander the Great is the only Classic hero whose exploits were widely known in the Slavic Middle Ages, mainly through the Greek Alexander Romance. At least two great groups of translations can be differentiated, one made in East Slavic and another one in South Slavic lands. The reasons behind these translations vary depending on the area, the time and the purpose. This book explores these translations by analysing almost fifty pre-seventeenth century manuscripts in Greek and Slavonic, as well as the relation of the Romance to all the other Classical and Biblical texts known in Slavonic in which Alexander was the main character. A detailed study of the manuscript evidence challenges current theories on the Slavic Alexanders, redating the translation of the earliest East version. It also presents new findings on scribal practices in the translation of non-canonical texts and a new understanding of paratactic scribal innovation.