page_title: Cultural depictions of Alexander the Great
section_title: In Persian literature
hierarchical_section_title: Cultural depictions of Alexander the Great / Ancient and Medieval literature / In Persian literature
caption_attribution_description: English: 15th century Persian miniature painting from Herat depicting Iskander, the Persian name for Alexander the Great, who was venerated by Muslims as Dhul-Qarnayn.
context_page_description: Alexander the Great's accomplishments and legacy have been preserved and depicted in many ways. Alexander has figured in works of both "high" and popular culture from his own era to the modern day. Some of these are highly fictionalized accounts, such as the Alexander Romance.
context_section_description: The Shahnameh of Ferdowsi, one of the oldest books written in New Persian, has a chapter about Alexander. It is a book of epic poetry written around 1000 AD, and is believed to have played an important role in the survival of the Persian language in the face of Arabic influence. It starts with a mythical history of Iran and then gives a story of Alexander, followed by a brief mention of the Arsacids. The accounts after that, still in epic poetry, portray historical figures. Alexander is described as a child of a Persian king, Daraaye Darab (the last in the list of kings in the book whose names do not match historical kings), and a daughter of Philip, a king. However, due to problems in the relationship between the Persian king and Philip's daughter, she is sent back to Rome. Alexander is born to her afterwards, but Philip claims him as his own son and keeps the true identity of the child secret.
  His name is recorded as both Iskandar (اسکندر) and Sikandar (سکندر) in Classical Persian literature.
  He is known as Eskandar-e Maqdūnī (اسکندر مقدونی "Alexander the Macedonian") in modern Iranian Persian.
caption: 15th century Persian miniature painting from Herat depicting Iskander, the Persian name for Alexander the Great
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