Roman d'Alexandre en prose

Alexander was one of the medieval "Nine Worthies," and his journeys eastward—and most especially the strange and exotic people and animals he encountered there—were treated in a number of different texts in a variety of genres.

[1] In the mid-tenth century, Archpriest Leo of Naples translated into Latin a second-century Greek Alexander romance falsely attributed to Callisthenes.

Nectanebus himself then proceeds to make the prediction true by coming to the queen at night disguised as a dragon.

But Philip has himself had a prophetic dream, foretelling that his wife will give birth to a boy, conceived by a god, who will go on to be a great conqueror.

He succeeds as king of Macedonia, and embarks on a tour of conquest around the Mediterranean, which includes the founding of Alexandria in Egypt.

Alexander weeps over his fallen foe, buries the king honorably, and sentences the traitors to death.

Meanwhile, Darius's old ally, Porrus, the king of India, still threatens, and Alexander sets out further eastward.

Along the way he encounters many strange and exotic people and animals—this part of the narrative participates heavily in the 'Wonders of the East' genre of medieval literature.

He kills Porrus, but continues on, encountering more and more strange creatures and peoples, including Queen Candace.