Iskandar - Persia - Nezami

Persian literature has many narratives such as Nezami's Iskandar-Nameh (The Book of Alexander, 1191 A.D.), the story of Iskandar in the Shahnameh, Iskandarnameh (a medieval prose romance) and other poems about Iskandar. At the same time, Iranians know about the much-hated character of Alexander in history; they, therefore, may wonder which represents the real Iskandar, Persian poetry or history. This article first introduces the two faces of Iskandar, one historic, the other literary. Then it discusses two questions: a.) how did Iskandar, in spite of his historical background to Iranians, change into a pure, Iranian and admirable character? b.) why, among so many Persian heroes, did a wise and patriotic sage like Nezami Ganjavi choose Iskandar-i Magduni(Alexander of Macedonia) as the hero of his lengthiest poem? Finally, for the reader to become familiar with an important and current narrative about Iskandar in Iran, the article gives a brief account of Iskandar in the Shahnameh, the great national epic.