History of Alexander the Great

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lexander the Great, the most esteemed flesh-and-blood hero of Greek history, conquered the world at the height of his youth. His exceptional military talent, ambition, audacity, bravery, and charisma were used as models by Caesar and by subsequent emperors, kings, and princes up to the present day. Proof of this are the numerous manuscripts commissioned for royal libraries that relate his biography. This work held pride of place in the library of Isabel the Catholic.

The story of Alexander the Great, in Old French prose, takes as its model the narrative text of Preliis—a battle history—written in the 10th century by Archbishop Leo of Naples. In addition to narrating historic events, its content has evolved into a novel of adventure with descriptions of exotic voyages and legends that reflect the spirit of medieval feudal society.

The codex that is the object of this rigorous facsimile edition is the oldest and most luxurious of the many copies that survive.

Considered a masterpiece of the Flemish miniature.

• Conserved in the Bibliothèque Royale, Belgium [Ms. 11.040]
• 180 parchment pages
• Dimensions: 24 x 18 cm
• 100 illuminated miniatures on a background of 24-karat gold and silver. Miniscule Gothic script in two columns. French.
• Bound in leather over wooden boards with bronze hinges and clasps.
• Unique edition of 999 numbered examples with notarized certificate of authenticity.

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