CLASSICS RESEARCH COLLOQUIUM DATE: Thursday, 7 September 2017 TIME: 14:10 - 15:45 VENUE: Committee Room, Classics Department, Room GO 12A, Ground Floor, MTB, Howard College Campus SPEAKER: Saaliha Bassa (Classics,UKZN) TOPIC: Dhul-Qarnayn, the Alexander of the Muslim World, Fact or Legend? ABSTRACT: Alexander the Great, renowned Greek King of Macedonia, is a thoroughly researched figure in ancient history. However, little to no research has been conducted on his Muslim ‘counterpart’ by the name of Dhul-Qarnayn. The figure of Dhul-Qarnayn is said to correspond with Alexander the Great due to the close similarity between Dhul-Qarnayn, as described in the Qur'an, and several passages about Alexander the Great in the Alexander Romances (4th century). A considerate number of Muslim scholars have endorsed the identification of Dhul-Qarnayn with the Alexander the Great due to the fact that ‘Dhul-Qarnayn’ literally translates from Arabic as ‘The Two-Horned One’, a similar description to Alexander who was often portrayed with a two-horned helmet. The following study aims to analyse the association of Dhul-Qarnayn and Alexander the Great using evidence from the Qur’an as well as other historical Islamic literature in accordance with literature written on Alexander the Great by ancient and modern scholars in a hermeneutical approach to create a timeline which depicts the movements of both characters and elaborate on the similarities and differences between them. In doing this, the study aims to establish the basis for which Dhul-Qarnayn may be regarded as Alexander the Great as well as find evidence to prove or disprove this association between the two. ALL STAFF AND GRADUATE STUDENTS ARE WELCOME! For further information please contact: Dr Elke Steinmeyer Classics Programme University of KwaZulu-Natal 4041 Durban South Africa Tel: +27 31 260 1306 Fax: +27 31 260 7286 Email: steinmeyere1@ukzn.ac.za