He slays the evil Duke of Melcis and captures his city of Defur.

In this chivalric exploit, Alexander answers a call for help by the knight, Gratien. Three scenes in Fuerre de Gadres: (1) Alexander sends out his troops (2) a battle at Tyre (3) Alexander hears that his men are in trouble: Bodley MS 264, f. They are attacked by a superior force and fight valiantly until Alexander rescues them.

In this episode, a small troop of Greek soldiers steal cattle to feed the troops besieging Tyre. Here follows a list of the additional material. In addition to the myriad stories in the Roman d’Alexandre itself, further accounts of Alexander’s exploits, taken from the most diverse sources, are interpolated into the main text of this manuscript, and a sequel added. One of nine full-page miniatures of Alexander’s adventures, including the episode of the three magic springs on the lower right(Tournai, Flanders, 1344): The Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford, Bodley MS 264, f. As punishment for using up the spring’s power, Alexander has Enoch imprisoned in a stone pillar until the end of time. Much to his annoyance, Alexander is unable to bathe in the second spring and achieve immortality because Enoch, one of his companions, finds it first. In one episode from the Roman d’Alexandre, the Greeks pass through a land with three wondrous springs that, in turn, restore lost youth, confer immortality and bring the dead back to life.

Particularly famous for its magnificent cycle of illustrations, this manuscript also contains the most complete version of the Roman d’Alexandre, a rich catalogue of Alexander’s adventures on his journeys of conquest and exploration. Known as Bodley MS 264 from the collections of the Bodleian Libraries in Oxford, this is a large volume, packed with stories and pictures. One of the star objects in our current exhibition, Alexander the Great: The Making of a Myth, is perhaps the most famous of all western manuscripts of the French Alexander Romance.

Famous medieval illuminated manuscripts