A Syriac poem about this character states that an impenetrable gate commonly attributed to him was used to keep out Gog and Magog. For 10 points each:
[10m] Name this character whose exploits, such as sleeping with the queen of the Amazons, were the focus of a medieval genre inspired by an epic attributed to Pseudo-Callisthenes (“kah-LISS-theh-neez”).
ANSWER: Alexander the Great [or Alexander III of Macedon; or Alexandros III; accept Alexander Romance; accept Syriac Alexander Legend]
[10h] A Scots version of the Alexander Romance has been dubiously attributed to this early Scottish poet. This 14th-century poet used Scots for a narrative poem about Robert the Bruce called the Brus.
ANSWER: John Barbour
[10e] The influential Roman d’Alexandre (“roh-mawn dah-lex-and-reh”) tells the Alexander story in this genre of French poetry. In another poem in this genre, the protagonist’s head explodes after he blows his oliphant horn.
ANSWER: chansons de geste (“shawn-sohn deh guest”) [or songs of heroic deeds; accept the Song of Roland or Le Chanson de Roland (“shawn-sohn deh ro-lawn”); prompt on epics]
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