The form of the story was fixed much as we have it now, certainly before the third century of our era, and probably much earlier, in the work of which a corrupt text has come down to us, under the name of Callisthenes, one of the companions of Alexander. The Greek text of this work was printed by Muller (Paris, 1877) from three MSS. in the Bibliothèque Nationale at Paris, which represent three different classes of MS. There are about twenty MSS. of the work known.
Probable Alexandrian origin of the Romance.
The origin of this romance is probably Egyptian. In fact, there seems little reason to doubt Favre’s guess, that its composition was due to one of the Ptolemies, who were successors of Alexander on the Egyptian throne, and willing to legitimatise their rule by connecting it with that of the last of the ancient kings. The style of the Greek seems to be Alexandrian, and Nicephorus Calistes (X. 36), speaks of the Life of Alexander written by the Alexandrian. Other considerations tend to support the Egyptian origin of the romance. The character of the magic is distinctly Egyptian (see a very interesting discussion of some points in Budge’s Syriac Version of the Alexander Story, pp. xxxix. et seq.). The way in which magic has been attributed to Anectanabus agrees with Egyptian tradition, which has always attributed supernatural powers to him. Reuvens, in his Third Letter (p. 76), gives an account of a papyrus describing some of his magical powers, and Tertullian, in the “De Anima” (lvii.), names him as one of the masters of magic.
Julius Valerius and his Epitome.
The story was translated into Latin by Julius Valerius early in the fourth century, since the translation is one of the sources of the “Itinerarium Alexandri” (340-345 A.D.). An epitome of Julius Valerius, made in the ninth century, was published by Zacher (Halle, 1867). Our earliest MS. of Julius Valerius is at Turin, and dates from about 800 A.D. He is quoted by Syncellus in the eighth century, and by Malala in the ninth.
The most important translation—the one which is known as the “Historia Alexandri Magni de Proeliis”—is, however, due to the tenth century. Leo the Archpriest seems to have been sent on an embassy to Constantinople to the Emperors Constantine and Romanus (920-944) by John and Marius, Dukes of Campania (941-965), and while there he seems to have collected many books, among which was the Story of Alexander. On his return he was commanded by Duke John to translate the story into Latin.
Alberic de Besançon. And the decasyllabic poem.
Lamprecht’s Version.
Alberic de Besançon. And the decasyllabic poem.
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Lamprecht’s Version.
The Alexander Story came into European literature early in the twelfth century. As far as we know it was introduced by Alberic de Besançon. Of his work there exists now only a fragment of about 105 lines, first printed by Heyse, Berlin, 1856, 8vo. We can, however, judge of it by the decasyllabic poem, of which two portions are printed by Meyer. It was founded on Julius Valerius and the authentic histories of Alexander. Alberic rejects with disdain the story of Anectanabus’ parentage of Alexander, judging it a disgrace to any true knight to be base-born. The character of the missing parts of the poem may also be gathered from the German version of Lamprecht the preacher, who wrote towards the end of the twelfth century, and who seems to have made use of Alberic’s poem till it concluded with the episode of Nicholas. The poems printed by Meyer here change their versification, and are henceforth in Alexandrines, the continuator being Simon le Poitevin.