Walter of Chatillon's 'Alexandreis': Epic and the Problem of Historical Understanding (Publications of the Journal of Medieval Latin)

The 12th-century epic Alexandreis recounts the life of Alexander but instead of recalling his glorious deeds and his emulation of Achilles, Walter of Chatillons' widely read poem focuses on Alexander's mortality and the rapid decline of his empire. Originally a thesis, this detailed study explores Walter's Christian use of the Classical epic genre and how he and other medieval writers reconstructed the past. Walter's Alexander is shown to be a flawed, pagan character with no control over his destiny despite his worldly success. Numerous Latin extracts with English translation.