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Alexander the Great: Man and Myth

The Ancients

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The Secret of Secrets

There are many texts which claim to originate from a relationship between Alexander and the Zoroastrian. The most famous text of all this tradition is the 'secret of secrets' It's 10th century compilation, probably written in Arabic and spreading widely in the Islamic world. This one was translated by a certain Philip of Tripoli in Spain in the 13th century. Once translated, people started to read it and it has become an integral element of princely education in the medieval West. We also have a very nicely richly decorated copy of the Latin translation of this Philip of Tripoli dedicated to the future king, Edward III of England.

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