Alexander the Great in the Early Christian Tradition

Alexander the Great in the Early Christian Tradition PDF

Author: Christian Thrue Djurslev

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2019-12-12

Total Pages: 356

ISBN-13: 1350120405

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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.

Alexander the Great in the Early Christian Tradition

Alexander the Great in the Early Christian Tradition PDF

Author: Christian Thrue Djurslev

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2019-12-12

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 1350120391

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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.

Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great PDF

Author: Waldemar Heckel

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Published: 2009

Total Pages: 402

ISBN-13:

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Alexander the Great has been studied and reinterpreted in every culture, from the great thinkers of the Hellenistic age to twenty-first century Hollywood. Alexander the Great: A New History offers an innovative treatment of one of history’s most famous figures. Bringing together leading experts in the field, this book combines traditional scholarship with contemporary research to examine a number of intriguing subjects in Alexander studies. The volume explores such diverse topics as Alexander’s religious views, his entourage during his campaign East, his sexuality, the influence of his legacy, and later representations in art and cinema. Reappraisals of the Macedonian army and Macedonian relations with the Greeks complement these new approaches to Alexander’s reign.

From Alexander to Jesus

From Alexander to Jesus PDF

Author: Ory Amitay

Publisher: Univ of California Press

Published: 2010-10-28

Total Pages: 520

ISBN-13: 0520948173

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Scholars have long recognized the relevance to Christianity of the many stories surrounding the life of Alexander the Great, who claimed to be the son of Zeus. But until now, no comprehensive effort has been made to connect the mythic life and career of Alexander to the stories about Jesus and to the earliest theology of the nascent Christian churches. Ory Amitay delves into a wide range of primary texts in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew to trace Alexander as a mythological figure, from his relationship to his ancestor and rival, Herakles, to the idea of his divinity as the son of a god. In compelling detail, Amitay illuminates both Alexander’s links to Herakles and to two important and enduring ideas: that of divine sonship and that of reconciliation among peoples.

Athanasius of Alexandria

Athanasius of Alexandria PDF

Author: David M. Gwynn

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2012-02-17

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 0191613398

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Athanasius of Alexandria (c.295-373) is one of the greatest and most controversial figures of early Christian history. His life spanned the period of fundamental change for the Roman Empire and the Christian Church that followed the conversion of Constantine the Great, the first Christian Roman emperor. A bishop and theologian, an ascetic and a pastoral father, Athanasius played a central role in shaping Christianity in these crucial formative years. As bishop of Alexandria (328-73) he fought to unite the divided Egyptian Church and inspired admiration and opposition alike from fellow bishops and the emperor Constantine and his successors. Athanasius attended the first ecumenical Council of Nicaea summoned by Constantine in 325 and as a theologian would be remembered as the defender of the original Nicene Creed against the 'Arian' heresy. He was also a champion of the ascetic movement that transformed Christianity, a patron of monks and virgins and the author of numerous ascetic works including the famous Life of Antony. All these elements played their part in Athanasius' vocation as a pastoral father, responsible for the physical and spiritual wellbeing of his congregations. This book offers the first study in English to draw together these diverse yet inseparable roles that defined Athanasius' life and the influence that he exerted on subsequent Christian tradition. The presentation is accessible to both specialists and non-specialists and is illuminated throughout by extensive quotation from Athanasius' many writings, for it is through his own words that we may best approach this remarkable man.

The Book of Alexander the Great

The Book of Alexander the Great PDF

Author: Richard Stoneman

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2012-03-30

Total Pages: 208

ISBN-13: 0857721135

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The Book of Alexander the Great - or the Phyllada - has for three centuries been the most popular account of Alexander's career in modern Greece. After circulating in manuscript form, it was first published in 1680 in Venice, and has been continuously in print in Greek ever since. The Phyllada broadly follows the structure of the ancient Alexander Romance, but is much better organised and is a work of popular literature reflecting the immense interest that the Conqueror has generated since earliest times. Numerous folktales and local legends kept his story alive, and many works about Alexander circulated in manuscript during the Byzantine period. The Phyllada is the culmination of this tradition. Yet it has never been translated into English: a surprising neglect which Richard Stoneman - an acknowledged expert on Alexander - makes good in this elegant rendering supplemented by a full introduction. As a piece of literature the Phyllada is among the best treatments of the Alexander legend, being full of colour and human interest. Alexander not only encounters the heroes of Troy on his adventures but wears the crown and robe of Solomon. His descent into the 'Cave of the Gods' (Greek and Egyptian gods in the Romance) becomes a visit to a hell described in Christian terms. The pagan Alexander is thus filtered through a modern lens and becomes an emblem of the good king. The sophisticated narrative structure and world view of the Phyllada account for its lasting influence. This new translation does it full justice.

Alexander the Great in the Roman Empire, 150 BC to AD 600

Alexander the Great in the Roman Empire, 150 BC to AD 600 PDF

Author: Jaakkojuhani Peltonen

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2019-03-13

Total Pages: 301

ISBN-13: 0429850549

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The life of Alexander the Great began to be retold from the moment of his death. The Greco-Roman authors used these stories as exemplars in a variety of ways. This book is concerned with the various stories of Alexander and how they were used in antiquity to promote certain policies, religious views, and value systems. The book is an original contribution to the study of the history and reception of Alexander, analysing the writings of over 70 classical and post-classical authors during a period of over 700 years. Drawing on this extensive range and quantity of material, the study plots the continuity and change of ideas from the early Roman Empire to the early Middle Ages.