THE CHRISTIAN ALEXANDER THE USE OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT IN EARLY CHRISTIAN LITERATURE BY CHRISTIAN THRUE DJURSLEV November 2 2015 DECLARATION Submitted by CHRISTIAN THRUE DJURSLEV to the UNIVERSITY OF EXETER as a thesis for the degree of doctor of philosophy in Classics and Ancient History, November 2 2015. This thesis is available for Library use on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement. I certify that all material in this thesis which is not my own work has been identified and that no material has previously been submitted and approved for the award of a degree by this or any other university. SIGNATURE : Christian Thrue Djurslev (signed) Dedicated to the Memory of Mary Ussher (August 25 1951 — April 6 2015 Easter Monday). ‘Eine klare zusammenfassende Lemmatasammlung zu Alexander etwa für die Patrologie gibt es nicht, doch ist zu vermuten, daß eine solche über das dargelegte hinaus kaum Neues würde bieten können.’ Gerhard Wirth, Der Weg in die Vergessenheit – Zum Schicksal des antiken Alexanderbildes, p. 58 n. 186. ‘Amitay assumes a familiarity with Alexander that is most unlikely among the audiences to which Jesus and his followers preached.’ David Madsen, Review of Ory Amitay From Alexander to Jesus, Bryn Mawr Classical Review 2011.09.32. v ABSTRACT THE CHRISTIAN ALEXANDER THE USE OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT IN EARLY CHRISTIAN LITERATURE By CHRISTIAN THRUE DJURSLEV The aim of the present study is to examine how the legacy of Alexander was appro- priated, altered and used in arguments in early Christian discourse (c. 200-600). There is an inventory of all the early Christian references to Alexander in Appendix 1. The structure of the thesis is conceived as an unequal triptych: it is divided into three parts with subdivisions into three chapters of varying lengths (Part III contains two chapters and the thesis conclusion). Each part is prefaced with a short description of its contents. Each chapter within those parts have a preliminary remark to introduce the principal subject area with a brief conclusion in the back of it. Part I explores the Alexander traditions of three geographical centres of the Chris- tian world: Alexandria (Ch. 1), Jerusalem (Ch. 2) and Rome (Ch. 3). It shows how the Jewish tales from these cities, such as the Josephan tale about Alexander’s visit to Jer- usalem, were used in a variety of diverging, often contradictory, ways. Part II turns to the writings of the apologists in the second and third centuries. It discusses three prevalent themes associated with Alexander: historiography (Ch. 4), divine honours (Ch. 5) and Greek philosophy (Ch. 6). Part III moves on to the central texts and Alexander themes in the fourth to sixth centuries. It focuses on his role in Christian chronicles, church histories and repres- entations of their world (Ch. 7), and also the rhetorical use of the figure in Christian preaching and public speaking (Ch. 8). Taken together, these three parts form the overarching argument that Alexander did not only fill many diverse roles in Christian representations of the remote past, but also featured in contemporary discourse on Christian culture, identities and soci- eties, as well as in arguments made on behalf of the Christian religion itself. Indeed, the Christians frequently juxtapose the figure with distinctively Christian features, such as the life of Jesus, the Apostles, the church, sacred cities and holy spaces. They incorporate him into discourses on peace, mercy, generosity and abstinence. In other words, they repeatedly made Alexander relevant for what they considered important and, thus, created their own distinct discourse on the figure. vii CONTENTS ABSTRACT.................................................................................................................... 7 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.................................................................................................13 A NOTE ON CONVENTIONS..........................................................................................14 INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................... 15 A. APPROACHES TO ALEXANDER LITERATURE.............................................................................17 B. CURRENT CONTENTIONS......................................................................................................23 C. THE PROJECT: PRACTICE AND THEORY.................................................................................27 D. METHODOLOGY..................................................................................................................37 E. OVERVIEW OF THE ARGUMENT..............................................................................................41 PART I................................................................................................................... 43 CHAPTER 1: ALEXANDER’S CITY...................................................................................45 PRELIMINARIES........................................................................................................................45 1.1. THE FOUNDATION OF ALEXANDRIA....................................................................................49 1.2. CIVIC RIGHTS TO ALEXANDRIAN JEWS...............................................................................55 1.3. THE TRANSLATION OF THE SEPTUAGINT.............................................................................59 1.4. THE BONES OF JEREMIAH.................................................................................................63 1.5. THE SIBYLLINE ORACLES..................................................................................................65 1.5.1. ‘BABYLON PROVED ALEXANDER A CORPSE’.............................................................................67 1.6. ALEXANDER’S PILGRIMAGE TO JERUSALEM..........................................................................71 1.6.1. ORIGEN’S VERSION..............................................................................................................77 1.6.2. EUSEBIUS’ VERSIONS...........................................................................................................79 1.6.3. LATIN VERSIONS.................................................................................................................83 1.6.4. BYZANTINE VERSIONS..........................................................................................................85 1.6.5. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS....................................................................................................88 1.7. CONCLUSION....................................................................................................................90 CHAPTER 2: JERUSALEM..............................................................................................91 PRELIMINARIES........................................................................................................................91 2.1. THE BOOK OF DANIEL....................................................................................................100 2.1.1. DANIEL 8. THE GOAT OF GOATS........................................................................................102 2.1.2. DANIEL 2. TRANSLATIO IMPERII.........................................................................................108 2.1.3. DANIEL 7. EMPIRES AND MONSTERS...................................................................................119 ix 2.2. MAJOR AND MINOR PROPHETS.......................................................................................125 2.3. REVELATION...................................................................................................................130 2.4. THE FIRST BOOK OF MACCABEES...................................................................................136 2.5. CONCLUSION..................................................................................................................142 CHAPTER 3: ROME...................................................................................................143 PRELIMINARIES......................................................................................................................143 3.1. THE GATE OF ALEXANDER..............................................................................................145 3.2. PHILO’S CALANUS...........................................................................................................151 3.3. MOSOLLAMUS................................................................................................................155 3.4. ALEXANDER, MOSES AND THE RED SEA..........................................................................155 3.5. CONCLUSION..................................................................................................................156 PART II................................................................................................................ 157 CHAPTER 4: REVISIONS OF KNOWLEDGE.....................................................................158 PRELIMINARIES......................................................................................................................158 4.1. APOLOGETIC HISTORIES....................................................................................................161 4.1.1. JULIUS AFRICANUS.............................................................................................................164