Cultural depictions of Alexander the GreatW
Cultural depictions of Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great's accomplishments and legacy have been preserved and depicted in many ways. Alexander has figured in works of both "high" and popular culture from his own era to the modern day. Some of these are highly fictionalized accounts, such as the Alexander Romance.

Alessandro (opera)W
Alessandro (opera)

Alessandro, is an opera composed by George Frideric Handel in 1726 for the Royal Academy of Music. Paolo Rolli's libretto is based on the story of Ortensio Mauro's La superbia d'Alessandro. This was the first time the famous singers Faustina Bordoni and Francesca Cuzzoni appeared together in one of Handel's operas. The original cast also included Francesco Bernardi who was known as Senesino.

Alessandro nelle Indie (Pacini)W
Alessandro nelle Indie (Pacini)

Alessandro nelle Indie is an opera seria in two acts by Giovanni Pacini to a libretto by Andrea Leone Tottola and Giovanni Schmidt, based on Alessandro nell'Indie by Pietro Metastasio. It was premiered at the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples on 29 September 1824, and had a total of 38 performances in its first season.

Alexander the Great (board game)W
Alexander the Great (board game)

Alexander the Great is a board wargame first published in 1971 by Guidon Games.

Alexander the Great, a Dramatic PoemW
Alexander the Great, a Dramatic Poem

Alexander the Great, a Dramatic Poem is a work by Irish poet and playwright Aubrey Thomas de Vere. It was published in 1874 by Henry S. King and Co. It tells about Macedonian king Alexander the Great and his war against the Persians. The drama was dedicated "To the Memory of Coleridge". It is written in blank verse. There are more than 30 dramatis personae, to say nothing of anonymous soldiers and messengers. According to the authors of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, the drama about Alexander the Great and the second work about St. Thomas of Canterbury "though they contain fine passages, suffer from diffuseness and a lack of dramatic spirit".

Alexander's Feast (Handel)W
Alexander's Feast (Handel)

Alexander's Feast is an ode with music by George Frideric Handel set to a libretto by Newburgh Hamilton. Hamilton adapted his libretto from John Dryden's ode Alexander's Feast, or the Power of Music (1697) which had been written to celebrate Saint Cecilia's Day. Jeremiah Clarke set the original ode to music.

Ancients Behaving BadlyW
Ancients Behaving Badly

Ancients Behaving Badly is a British and Canadian produced documentary series that aired from November to December 2009 on the Canadian The History Channel and the American counterpart. The show focuses on the misdeeds of famous historical figures using forensic investigation, animated sequences, and historian interviews. Although events are depicted in a serious manner, the series has an occasionally tongue-in-cheek narrative style.

The Apotheosis of Homer (Ingres)W
The Apotheosis of Homer (Ingres)

The Apotheosis of Homer is a grand 1827 painting by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, now exhibited at the Louvre as INV 5417. The symmetrical composition depicts Homer being crowned by a winged figure personifying Victory or the Universe. Forty-four additional figures pay homage to the poet in a kind of classical confession of faith.

The Battle of Alexander at IssusW
The Battle of Alexander at Issus

The Battle of Alexander at Issus is a 1529 oil painting by the German artist Albrecht Altdorfer, a pioneer of landscape art and a founding member of the Danube school. The painting portrays the 333 BC Battle of Issus, in which Alexander the Great secured a decisive victory over Darius III of Persia and gained crucial leverage in his campaign against the Persian Empire. The painting is widely regarded as Altdorfer's masterpiece, and is one of the most famous examples of the type of Renaissance landscape painting known as the world landscape, which here reaches an unprecedented grandeur.

Child of a DreamW
Child of a Dream

Child of a Dream is the first part of Valerio Massimo Manfredi's Alexander trilogy, released in 1998. It narrates the childhood of Alexander the Great, son of king Philip II of Macedon and queen Olympias. He is tutored by the great Greek philosopher Aristotle until the age of 16 and, also thank to the friendship of Hephaiston and Ptolemy, he becomes a most charismatic and mighty warrior, ready to take on the challenge of expanding the Macedonian Empire following the assassination of his father.

Civilization VW
Civilization V

Sid Meier's Civilization V is a 4X video game in the Civilization series developed by Firaxis Games. The game was released on Microsoft Windows in September 2010, on OS X on November 23, 2010, and on Linux on June 10, 2014.

Civilization VIW
Civilization VI

Sid Meier's Civilization VI is a turn-based strategy 4X video game developed by Firaxis Games, published by 2K Games, and distributed by Take-Two Interactive. The Mobile port was published by Aspyr Media. The latest entry into the Civilization series, it was released on Microsoft Windows and macOS in October 2016, with later ports for Linux in February 2017, iOS in December 2017, Nintendo Switch in November 2018, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in November 2019 and Android in 2020.

Deadliest Warrior: LegendsW
Deadliest Warrior: Legends

Deadliest Warrior: Legends is a fighting game developed by Pipeworks Software and published by 345 Games & Spike Games. Based on the Spike documentary TV series Deadliest Warrior and the sequel to Deadliest Warrior: The Game, Deadliest Warrior: Legends allows players to take control of various individual warriors from different time periods, utilizing their own unique set of weapons, armor, and fight styles. The game was announced on April 7, 2011 by Spike Games, featuring a new campaign mode and a new line-up of playable warriors. On June 6, 2011, a gameplay trailer was released on E3 Live on GT. On July 6 the game was released for the Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade, and July 26 for the PlayStation 3's PlayStation Network.

List of cultural references in the Divine ComedyW
List of cultural references in the Divine Comedy

The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri is a long allegorical poem in three parts : the Inferno (Hell), Purgatorio (Purgatory), and Paradiso (Paradise), and 100 cantos, with the Inferno having 34, Purgatorio having 33, and Paradiso having 33 cantos. Set at Easter 1300, the poem describes the living poet's journey through hell, purgatory, and paradise.

Empire Earth (video game)W
Empire Earth (video game)

Empire Earth is a real-time strategy video game developed by Stainless Steel Studios and released on November 23, 2001. It is the first game in the Empire Earth series.

The Ends of the Earth (novel)W
The Ends of the Earth (novel)

The Ends of the Earth is the third and last part of Valerio Massimo Manfredi's trilogy on Alexander the Great. After the Oracle of Ammon told him he is the son of Zeus, Alexander feels invincible and marches north towards the historic town of Babylon. The beautiful city is ravaged and the Palace of Persepolis, the former residence of King Darius, is burnt to ashes together with the memories of the old Empire. It is now time to start anew and Alexander decides on yet another hard task: unify the Persian people with the Macedonians. As he struggles to convince his countrymen to come to cultural compromises with the Persians, he falls in love with Queen Roxane. And it is this love that gives him the strength to fulfil his epic destiny.

The Family of Darius before AlexanderW
The Family of Darius before Alexander

The Family of Darius before Alexander is a 1565–1570 oil on canvas painting by Paolo Veronese. It depicts Alexander the Great with the family of Darius III, the Persian king he had defeated in battle. Although Veronese had previously painted a version of the subject, since destroyed, the theme had rarely been depicted by other artists before him. The painting has been in the collection of the National Gallery in London since 1857.

Fire from HeavenW
Fire from Heaven

Fire from Heaven is a 1969 historical novel by Mary Renault about the childhood and youth of Alexander the Great. It reportedly was a major inspiration for the Oliver Stone film Alexander. The book was nominated for the “Lost Man Booker Prize” of 1970, "a contest delayed by 40 years because a reshuffling of the fledgeling competition’s rules", but lost out to Troubles by J. G. Farrell.

Funeral Games (novel)W
Funeral Games (novel)

Funeral Games is a 1981 historical novel by Mary Renault, dealing with the death of Alexander the Great and its aftermath, the gradual disintegration of his empire. It is the final book of her Alexander trilogy.

Goliath and the Rebel SlaveW
Goliath and the Rebel Slave

Goliath and the Rebel Slave, also known as The Tyrant of Lydia Against the Son of Hercules, is a 1963 Eastmancolor adventure peplum film directed by Mario Caiano.

Guardians of the Lost LibraryW
Guardians of the Lost Library

Guardians of the Lost Library is a 1993 comic book story made by Don Rosa for The Walt Disney Company, mentioned by Comics Buyer's Guide as "possibly the greatest comic book story of all time". Although afraid at the time of its creation of cramming too many historical details into the story, Rosa himself mentions in Uncle Scrooge #383 that in fan mail he receives to this day, Guardians of the Lost Library to his own surprise is often referred to as "'the best Rosa story' or 'the best Duck story' or even 'the best comic book story' (?!!) that fans say they've ever read."

I Am the Great HorseW
I Am the Great Horse

I Am the Great Horse is a historical fantasy novel by English writer Katherine Roberts, published in August, 2006 by The Chicken House and aimed at teens. It is about the life of Alexander the Great, told from the point of view of his horse, Bucephalus.

King AlisaunderW
King Alisaunder

King Alisaunder or Kyng Alisaunder is a Middle English romance or romantic epic in 4017 octosyllabic couplets. It tells the story of Alexander the Great's career from his youth, through his successful campaigns against the Persian king Darius and other adversaries, his discovery of the wonders of the East, and his untimely death. George Saintsbury described King Alisaunder as "one of the most spirited of the romances", and W. R. J. Barron wrote of its "shrewd mixture of entertainment and edification made appetizing by literary and stylistic devices of unexpected subtlety."

Nine WorthiesW
Nine Worthies

The Nine Worthies are nine historical, scriptural, and legendary personages who personify the ideals of chivalry established in the Middle Ages, whose lives were deemed a valuable study for aspirants to chivalric status. All were commonly referred to as 'Princes', regardless of their historical titles. In French they are called Les Neuf Preux or "Nine Valiants", giving a more specific idea of the moral virtues they exemplified: those of soldierly courage and generalship. In Italy they are i Nove Prodi.

Nobunaga the FoolW
Nobunaga the Fool

Nobunaga the Fool is a Japanese stage play and anime series, part of a wider franchise titled The Fool by anime creator Shōji Kawamori. The play is a combination of live actors produced by Avex Live Creative and animation by Satelight, first performed on December 8, 2013. The anime series is also animated by Satelight and began airing on January 5, 2014 and ended June 22, 2014.

Pamphlet of Rigas FeraiosW
Pamphlet of Rigas Feraios

The Pamphlet of Rigas Feraios is a large chalcography printed in Vienna in 1797 by Rigas Feraios. It depicts a portrait of Alexander the Great framed by war scenes and portraits of his generals. The etching was incised by François Müller, who cooperated with Rigas for his cartographic work which he published the same year: Rigas' Map of Greece (1797), the New Map of Wallachia (1797) and the General Map of Moldavia (1797). It was released in 1200 copies from the printing press of Nitsch. One of the two copies that have been discovered in Greece is displayed in the National Historical Museum of Greece.

The Persian BoyW
The Persian Boy

The Persian Boy is a 1972 historical novel written by Mary Renault and narrated by Bagoas, a young Persian from an aristocratic family who is captured by his father's enemies, castrated, and sold as a slave to king Darius III, who makes him his favourite. Eventually he becomes the lover and most faithful servant of Alexander the Great, who overthrew Darius and captured the Persian Empire. Bagoas' narration provides both a Persian view of the conquest and an intimate look at the personality of the conqueror. In Renault's view, Alexander's love for Bagoas influenced his desire to unite the Greek and Persian peoples. Renault also posits the notion that Alexander's relentless drive to conquer the world stemmed in part from his troubled relationship with his domineering mother, and his desire to "escape" from her influence by leading his army ever eastward.

Poro (opera)W
Poro (opera)

Poro, re dell'Indie is an opera seria in three acts by George Frideric Handel. The Italian-language libretto was adapted from Alessandro nell'Indie by Metastasio, and based on Alexander the Great's encounter with King Porus in 326 BC. The libretto had already been set to music by Leonardo Vinci in 1729 and was used as the text for more than sixty operas throughout the 18th century.

Porus (TV series)W
Porus (TV series)

Porus is a historical drama television series based on the Battle of the Hydaspes, visualizing the lives of Indian warrior and ruler Porus, King of the Pauravas and Alexander The Great, Emperor of the Macedonian Empire. It aired from 27 November 2017 till 13 November 2018 on Sony Entertainment Television. Its last episode was aired on 13 November 2018. Another historical drama Chandragupta Maurya replaced it with seamless continuity of story.

Ptolemaic cult of Alexander the GreatW
Ptolemaic cult of Alexander the Great

The Ptolemaic cult of Alexander the Great was an imperial cult in ancient Egypt in the Hellenistic period, promoted by the Ptolemaic dynasty. The core of the cult was the worship of the deified conqueror-king Alexander the Great, which eventually formed the basis for the ruler cult of the Ptolemies themselves. The head priest of the cult was the chief priest in the Ptolemaic Kingdom, and years were dated after the incumbents.

Reign: The ConquerorW
Reign: The Conqueror

Alexander , released in North America as Reign: The Conqueror, in Europe as Alexander the Great and in South America as Alexander Senki, is a Korean-Japanese anime first released in 1999. A re-imagination of the life of Alexander the Great based on the novel of the same name by Hiroshi Aramata, the series was produced by an international crew that drew from the resources of the worldwide animation community. Character and setting design for the show was conceived by Peter Chung. Most of the production work was handled by Korean animators.

The Rival QueensW
The Rival Queens

The Rival Queens, or the Death Of Alexander the Great is a Restoration tragedy written by Nathaniel Lee c. 1677. Regarded as one of his best tragedies, the play revolves around Alexander the Great and his two wives, Roxana and Statira, whose competition for his affections ends in tragedy. The play was largely influenced by French dramatist La Calprenède's historic romance Cassandre.

Rome: Total War: AlexanderW
Rome: Total War: Alexander

Rome: Total War: Alexander is the second expansion pack for Rome: Total War. It is set in an earlier time period, putting the player in the role of Alexander the Great. It begins with Alexander's ascension to the Macedonian throne in 336 BC and lasts for 100 turns. The game is much the same as the original Rome: Total War, but with fewer factions, different units, and a different map. The expansion was released in 2006 for Microsoft Windows. The macOS version of Rome: Total War: Alexander was released on 27 February 2014 by Feral Interactive. A standalone version of the expansion, also by Feral, was released for the iPad on 27 July 2017. An iPhone and Android version of the game was released on 24 October 2019.

The Sands of AmmonW
The Sands of Ammon

The Sands of Ammon is the second part of Valerio Massimo Manfredi's Alexander trilogy, following on from Child of a Dream. Continuing the epic story of Alexander the Great, The Sands of Ammon narrates of the Macedonian king's quest to conquer Asia. He and his men storm and conquer Persian towns and harbours; even the legendary town of Halicarnassus is defeated. Alexander's army marches on to the snow-covered Anatolia, where it records yet another few victories. Despite defeating the king Darius III, the city of Tyre and the Towers of Gaza prove to be formidable enemies, although they ultimately have to surrender to Alexander. The Macedonian army then heads south towards the mysterious and epic land of Egypt; and it's here, in the sands of the endless Libyan Desert, that the Oracle of Ammon lies. And what the divine Oracle will reveal to Alexander will change his life forever.

The School of AthensW
The School of Athens

The School of Athens is a fresco by the Italian Renaissance artist Raphael. It was painted between 1509 and 1511 as a part of Raphael's commission to decorate the rooms now known as the Stanze di Raffaello, in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican.

The Search for Alexander the GreatW
The Search for Alexander the Great

The Search for Alexander the Great is a 1981 four part TV mini-series directed by Peter Sykes, and narrated by James Mason.

Stag Hunt MosaicW
Stag Hunt Mosaic

The Stag Hunt mosaic is a mosaic from a wealthy home of the late 4th century BC, the so-called "House of the Abduction of Helen", in Pella, the capital of the Macedonian Kingdom. It bears the signature of the Ancient Greek artist Gnosis, of whom very little is known. It is now located in the Archaeological Museum of Pella, Central Macedonia, Greece.

Time Twist: Rekishi no Katasumi de...W
Time Twist: Rekishi no Katasumi de...

Time Twist: Rekishi no Katasumi de... is a text-based adventure game developed by Pax Softnica under Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo for the Family Computer Disk System in 1991. The game was never released outside Japan.

The Virtues of WarW
The Virtues of War

The Virtues of War is a 2004 historical fiction novel by Steven Pressfield that follows the life of Alexander the Great, told through the eyes of a Hellenic-Persian scribe serving under him during his campaigns into India. Alexander is recounting the events of his life to the young scholar just before he dies in Babylon.