A Hellenic Emperor at the Kievan Court: Alexander the Great and Apocalyptic Kingship in East Slavic Historiography

Abstract

The inclusion of Pseudo-Callisthenes’ Alexander Romance in historiographic texts in East Slavic from the very beginning should not necessarily surprise us. The use of the Classical past in emerging literatures of European nations where no Roman legions ever set a foot, needless to say were remotely associated with the Hellenic empire of the Macedonian emperor, brings East Slavic historiographic tradition in line with the rest of European medieval literatures, far beyond the Byzantine Commonwealth. However, it is important to understand that, while the models used might repeat themselves (the Trojan War and Alexander of Macedon figured prominently in the repertoire), the reasons and uses of the same examples might vary. The reason, however, of why Alexander the Great’s life and exploits were inserted in East Slavic historiographic works is quite different from the reasons of his fame among Western counterparts. The features that we could identify as descriptive of Alexander the Macedon in its own and other traditions (pagan, Hellenic) are completely forgotten to underline radically opposite characteristics: the Alexander the Great of East Slavic historiography is Christian and Biblical.