New Delhi: A Greek manuscript from the Byzantine era called “The Romance of Alexander”, which depicts the life of Alexander the Great and his journey to India, is set to be put on display at the Jawaharlal Nehru University next week.
A digitised version of the 14th-century manuscript is being brought from Greece as part of a conference titled — The Greek World and India: History, Culture and Trade from the Hellenistic Period to Modern Times.
To be held between 12-16 December, the conference will witness 40 scholars from both countries present findings of shared history, culture and literature.
The First Counsellor at the Embassy of Greece Ismini Panagopoulou, in an interaction with the media, said that the manuscript is an archival jewel of the institute and is being specially brought to India.
“The manuscript shows the time when Alexander the Great encouraged the interaction between the Greeks and Indians in the form of the marriage of his soldiers with Indian women. This manuscript also shows Alexander from a perspective of grandeur and exoticism, which is different from his depiction in Indian texts,” she said.
Scenes with flags similar to the tricolour
The manuscript is preserved in the manuscript collection of the Hellenic Institute of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Research in Venice. It is said to have been written in the first half of the 14th century.
The manuscript, which will be showcased in India for the first time, has scenes with flags similar to the Indian tricolour and images of Alexander crossing the Indus river.
The objective of the event is to broaden the areas of current and future cooperation and open new ways of promoting relations between the two countries.
The Greek Chair of the School of Language, Literature and Culture Studies at JNU, Vasileios Syros, told ThePrint that his focus will be on increasing the number of fellowships and student exchanges.
He is a fellow at the United Services Institution of India, a Delhi-based national security and defence service think tank, and will be jointly working with Indian scholars on developing an ‘indigenous strategic vocabulary’ unique to the countries.
The conference will have addresses by several notable dignitaries including MoS for External Affairs and Culture Meenakshi Lekhi, JNU VC Santishree Pandit and Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias.
(Edited by V S Chandrasekar)