Christian T Djurslev
Biographic Data
| ID | 1482633 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Christian T Djurslev |
| GIVEN NAMES | Christian T |
| FAMILY NAME | Djurslev |
| SIGNATURE | DJURSLEV C T |
| AFFILIATIONS | Aarhus University |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-7891-8805 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 9 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 0 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 9 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2017 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2024 |
| H-INDEX | 0 |
Callisthenes, Chares, Nearchus, Onesicritus and the Mystery of the Royal Journals
This chapter reviews the fragmentary evidence for the five first historians and histories of Alexander: Callisthenes of Olynthus, Chares of Mytilene, Nearchus of Crete, Onesicritus of Astypalea and the royal diaries of the king, perhaps compiled by Eumenes of Cardia. These Greek authors took part of the Asiatic expedition and enjoyed a unique vantage point from which to report on the central events of the campaign. Nevertheless, they often resort…
The Alexander Romance
The so-called Alexander Romance is the most widely read text about Alexander from the ancient world. An unknown author composed this fantastical piece of Greek historical fiction, which narrates Alexander’s entire life, deeds, and death in an extraordinary fashion. The three books of inventive prose narrative, embedded with about 280 lines of verse, are bookended by stories of the king’s conception (1.1–14) and funeral (3.34). Here the text is ap…
Creative Chronography in Early Christianity
In this article, I use John Malalas' account of Cyrus' two deaths - which he claimed was based on Pythagoras of Samos and Julius Africanus - as a case study for historiographical creativity in early Christian chronography. First, I detect that one of Cyrus' deaths is calqued on Xerxes' death in the Greek historian, Ctesias of Cnidus, and thus an original interpretation of the event. Second, I place this death story in the greater context of Malal…
A History of Alexander the Great in World Culture
Alexander III of Macedon (356-323 BC) has for over 2000 years been one of the best recognized names from antiquity. He set about creating his own legend in his lifetime, and subsequent writers and political actors developed it. He acquired the surname 'Great' by the Roman period, and the Alexander Romance transmitted his legendary biography to every language of medieval Europe and the Middle East. As well as an adventurer who sought the secret of…
Christianising Alexander Traditions in Late Antiquity
This chapter explores Alexander’s legacy in early Christian literature, arguing that the Christians appropriated his figure by means of subtle alterations to existing tales or comparisons of his deeds with Christian content. It focuses on the common ground between Christians and non-Christians, and looks at first, the classicising ‘pagans’ (Celsus, Porphyry, Julian); secondly, the Greek-writing Jewish authors (Philo of Alexandria, Flavius Josephu…
Heracles, Macedon, and Alexander the Great
This chapter challenges the commonly held view that Alexander the Great’s emulation of Heracles was real, a notion based on a plethora of ancient material purporting to document a special relationship between the Macedonian king and the Greek hero. However, on closer inspection, it becomes clear that the major historiographical texts—by Diodorus, Curtius, Plutarch, and Arrian—develop the Heracles theme inconsistently and to very different degrees…
Hrabanus Maurus’ Post-Patristic Renovation of 1 Maccabees 1
In this article, I examine Hrabanus Maurus’ exegesis of the opening verses of 1 Maccabees, which preserves a concise account of Alexander the Great’s career. My main goal is to demonstrate how Hrabanus reinterpreted the representation of the Macedonian king from 1 Maccabees. To this end, I employ transformation theory, which enables me to analyze the ways in which Hrabanus updated the meaning of the biblical text. I argue that Hrabanus turned the…
Four Beasts and a Baby
The present article hypothesizes that a bizarre omen story of Alexander’s death belongs in a Hellenistic literary context rather than a historical Babylonian one. Several texts, including the Greek Alexander Romance (3.30), relate the birth omen of a stillborn child with living animals for his lower body. The court of Alexander decides to burn the portent. I suggest that the omen should be read as a manifestation of a teras in the Greek paradigm.…
Alexander Romance
The most popular biography of Alexander the Great in the ancient world was the novelistic three‐book fiction, the Life of Alexander of Macedon or, simply, the Alexander romance ( AR ). The Greek work is attributed to various authors, including Aristotle, Aesop, and Callisthenes, but without any certainty. The text also survives in Latin and Armenian translations from the fourth and fifth centuries ce respectively. As it stands, the AR is a fancif…
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Alexander Romance
The most popular biography of Alexander the Great in the ancient world was the novelistic three‐book fiction, the Life of Alexander of Macedon or, simply, the Alexander romance ( AR ). The Greek work is attributed to various authors, including Aristotle, Aesop, and Callisthenes, but without any certainty. The text also survives in Latin and Armenian translations from the fourth and fifth centuries ce respectively. As it stands, the AR is a fancif…
Four Beasts and a Baby
The present article hypothesizes that a bizarre omen story of Alexander’s death belongs in a Hellenistic literary context rather than a historical Babylonian one. Several texts, including the Greek Alexander Romance (3.30), relate the birth omen of a stillborn child with living animals for his lower body. The court of Alexander decides to burn the portent. I suggest that the omen should be read as a manifestation of a teras in the Greek paradigm.…
Heracles, Macedon, and Alexander the Great
This chapter challenges the commonly held view that Alexander the Great’s emulation of Heracles was real, a notion based on a plethora of ancient material purporting to document a special relationship between the Macedonian king and the Greek hero. However, on closer inspection, it becomes clear that the major historiographical texts—by Diodorus, Curtius, Plutarch, and Arrian—develop the Heracles theme inconsistently and to very different degrees…
Hrabanus Maurus’ Post-Patristic Renovation of 1 Maccabees 1
In this article, I examine Hrabanus Maurus’ exegesis of the opening verses of 1 Maccabees, which preserves a concise account of Alexander the Great’s career. My main goal is to demonstrate how Hrabanus reinterpreted the representation of the Macedonian king from 1 Maccabees. To this end, I employ transformation theory, which enables me to analyze the ways in which Hrabanus updated the meaning of the biblical text. I argue that Hrabanus turned the…
A History of Alexander the Great in World Culture
Alexander III of Macedon (356-323 BC) has for over 2000 years been one of the best recognized names from antiquity. He set about creating his own legend in his lifetime, and subsequent writers and political actors developed it. He acquired the surname 'Great' by the Roman period, and the Alexander Romance transmitted his legendary biography to every language of medieval Europe and the Middle East. As well as an adventurer who sought the secret of…
Christianising Alexander Traditions in Late Antiquity
This chapter explores Alexander’s legacy in early Christian literature, arguing that the Christians appropriated his figure by means of subtle alterations to existing tales or comparisons of his deeds with Christian content. It focuses on the common ground between Christians and non-Christians, and looks at first, the classicising ‘pagans’ (Celsus, Porphyry, Julian); secondly, the Greek-writing Jewish authors (Philo of Alexandria, Flavius Josephu…
Callisthenes, Chares, Nearchus, Onesicritus and the Mystery of the Royal Journals
This chapter reviews the fragmentary evidence for the five first historians and histories of Alexander: Callisthenes of Olynthus, Chares of Mytilene, Nearchus of Crete, Onesicritus of Astypalea and the royal diaries of the king, perhaps compiled by Eumenes of Cardia. These Greek authors took part of the Asiatic expedition and enjoyed a unique vantage point from which to report on the central events of the campaign. Nevertheless, they often resort…
The Alexander Romance
The so-called Alexander Romance is the most widely read text about Alexander from the ancient world. An unknown author composed this fantastical piece of Greek historical fiction, which narrates Alexander’s entire life, deeds, and death in an extraordinary fashion. The three books of inventive prose narrative, embedded with about 280 lines of verse, are bookended by stories of the king’s conception (1.1–14) and funeral (3.34). Here the text is ap…
Creative Chronography in Early Christianity
In this article, I use John Malalas' account of Cyrus' two deaths - which he claimed was based on Pythagoras of Samos and Julius Africanus - as a case study for historiographical creativity in early Christian chronography. First, I detect that one of Cyrus' deaths is calqued on Xerxes' death in the Greek historian, Ctesias of Cnidus, and thus an original interpretation of the event. Second, I place this death story in the greater context of Malal…
Classical Antiquity Studies (8 works) · History (8 works) · Art (7 works) · Classics (7 works) · Literature (7 works) · Byzantine Studies and History (5 works) · Philosophy (5 works) · Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies (4 works) · Ancient history (3 works) · Archaeology (3 works)