Alexander the Great in the Early Christian Tradition: Classical Reception and Patristic Literature

by Christian Thrue Djurslev

Overview

What has Alexander the Great to do with Jesus Christ? Or the legendary king's conquest of the Persian Empire (335–23 BCE) to do with the prophecies of the Old Testament?

In many ways, the early Christian writings on Alexander and his legacy provide a lens through which it is possible to view the shaping of the literature and thought of the early church in the Greek East and the Latin West. This book articulates that fascinating discourse for the first time by focusing on the early Christian use of Alexander. Delving into an impressively deep pool of patristic literature written between 130–313 CE, Christian Thrue Djurslev offers original interpretations of various important authors, from the learned lawyer Tertullian to the 'Christian Cicero' Lactantius, and from the apologist Tatian to the first church historian Eusebius. He demonstrates that the early Christian adaptations of the Alexandrian myths created a new tradition that has continued to develop and expand ever since. This innovative work of reception studies is important reading for all scholars of Alexander the Great and early church history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781350120402
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	12/12/2019
Series:	Bloomsbury Studies in Classical Reception
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	240
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Christian Thrue Djurslev is Assistant Professor of Classics at Aarhus University, Denmark. He has published widely on the reception of Alexander the Great in ancient and modern culture.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements
Conventions and Abbreviations

Introduction
Chapter 1: Apologists and Co.
Chapter 2: Classical Themes and Christian Tradition
Chapter 3: Tales from Judea and the Diaspora
Chapter 4: History and Rhetoric
Conclusion
Epilogue: Writing Alexander, Writing Constantine

References
Index

Editorial Reviews

A sparkling account of the Christian apologists.
Church History and Religious Culture

Djurslev's book is a useful contribution towards scholarship on the reception of Alexander. It should be a helpful reference and starting point for future work in this area. The occasional references to Coptic and Syriac works may even help inspire more research on Alexander's reception in these languages. Djurslev convincingly shows that there is much to be gained by casting a wider net in studies of the reception of Alexander.
The Classical Journal

The survey is clearly structured, thorough, and well argued. It contains a great deal of fascinating details (such as on Tatian's criticism of Aristotle's teaching: p. 44). The language is fresh and modern. The book is an important contribution to the studies of Alexander's reception. It is useful to students, very informative for scholars, and recommended for anyone interested in the multiple artificial images of Alexander in his afterlife.
Bryn Mawr Classical Review

From the Publisher