Life The author of the original Greek Alexander Romance is anonymous. Scholarly consensus holds that an unknown author, likely in Alexandria, composed the core text during the Hellenistic period, with the 3rd century BCE often proposed [1, 2]. This author compiled and heavily fictionalized stories from earlier historical and legendary sources to transform Alexander the Great into a mythic hero [1, 2].

Works The single, seminal work is the Alexander Romance (also known as the Life of Alexander of Macedon, Pseudo-Callisthenes, or Ἀλεξάνδρου πράξεις) [1, 2]. It is a fictionalized biography that exists in many later recensions and translations.

Significance The Alexander Romance is one of antiquity's most influential works of popular literature. It became the principal source for the medieval Alexander legend across Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia, translated into over 30 languages [1, 2]. Its narratives of Alexander's divine birth, mythical encounters, and explorations profoundly shaped art, folklore, and historical writing for centuries, often overshadowing the historical figure [2].

Sources 1. Encyclopædia Britannica: "Alexander Romance": https://www.britannica.com/topic/Alexander-romance 2. World History Encyclopedia: "Alexander Romance": https://www.worldhistory.org/Alexander_Romance/