The Wars of Alexander

The Wars of Alexander is a Middle English poem of the late fourteenth or early fifteenth century, preserved in part in two northern manuscripts, Bodley MS Ashmole 44 and Trinity College Dublin MS 213. It is based on the popular Latin account of Alexander the Great, the Historia de Preliis.The quality of The Wars of Alexander has been widely recognized, but this is the first critical edition, taking account of the readings of the two manuscripts, the relationship of the poem to its source, and the poet's metrical practice. The introduction discusses the manuscripts, the different versions of the Latin source, the metre of the poem, its language and dialect, and the editorial principles employed. The text is accompanied by the variant readings. There are full explanatory notes and a comprehensive glossary.