Alexander the Great and Dying Darius Manuscript in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, August 2019

"Alexander the Great and Dying Darius", Folio from a Majma' al-Tavarikh (Compendium of Histories) of Hafiz-i Abru
ca. 1425


Object Details

Title: "Alexander the Great and Dying Darius", Folio from a Majma' al-Tavarikh (Compendium of Histories) of Hafiz-i Abru

Author: Hafiz-i Abru (d. 1430)

Date: ca. 1425

Geography: Attributed to Afghanistan, Herat

Medium: Opaque watercolor, silver, and gold on brownish paper

Dimensions: 17 x 13in. (43.2 x 33cm)

Classification: Codices

Credit Line: Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1952

Accession Number: 52.20.3


Written by court historian Hafiz-i Abru and modelled after the Ilkhanid Jami' al-Tavarikh, the text of the Majma' al-Tavarikh begins at the time of Adam and continues into the rule of Shah Rukh (r. 1405–47). This folio depicts Alexander the Great, a historic figure who figures prominently in various Persian literaturary and histories, where he is described as the half-brother of the Persian king Darab (sometimes identified as Darius). Alexander and Darab go to war, and Darab’s attendants decide to kill their leader and pledge allegiance to Alexander. Here, Alexander discovers his dying half-brother and tells him of their common parentage before promising to put the murderers to death.

Text from: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/451083