The poisoning of Alexander the Great by his sister(?)

What it is

This is a medieval manuscript page written in Middle Dutch gothic script, with an illuminated initial and a framed miniature. The miniature shows three figures in a courtly interior. The margins have vine decoration and grotesque creatures, including a rabbit and a winged dragon-like figure. The page is dated 1332 and was made by Michiel van der Borch. It is held by the KB, National Library of the Netherlands.

Why it matters

The page illustrates a legend that Alexander was poisoned, possibly by his sister, as the title's question mark suggests. Legends like this were told about Alexander long after his death in 323 BCE. The page shows that Alexander's story was still being retold and illustrated in the fourteenth century, in a language other than Latin or Greek.

Look closer

• Who are the three figures in the miniature, and how can you tell their roles?
• Why might the artist have added animals and creatures in the margins?
• What questions does the question mark in the title raise about how reliable this story is?