Abstract
Translated into Armenian as early as the5th century, shortly after the creation of the alphabet and at the same time as the first versions of the Bible and the Church Fathers, the Roman d'Alexandre is the only Armenian translation of a secular work.
From the 14th century onwards, appendices were inserted into the Armenian text, presenting Alexander as a model of the ideal ruler. Miniatures illustrating the life of the ancient king were also added. Each scene is accompanied by a didactic poem, creating a royal imagery, both textual and visual.
The thirteen illuminated manuscripts of the Roman d'Alexandre, dated between the 14th and 17th centuries, were produced in different contexts. By placing each manuscript in its historical and political context, we can see that its production is linked to the changing political orientation of the time (fall of the kingship in the 14th century and subsequent attempts to re-establish an Armenian state). It is interesting to note that the commissioners refer to Alexander's " perfect domination ". These were high-ranking ecclesiastics, descendants of Armenian royal dynasties or princely families, whose ideological influence was reflected in their artistic language.
In the5th century, after the abolition of the kingdom of Armenia in 428, Alexander symbolized the Armenians' thirst for emancipation from the Persian world. The image of an ideal king, builder of the gates of bronze that would prevent the arrival of impure peoples, ancestor and forerunner of the Emperor of the end times, the Macedonian responded to the hope of restoring the nation's original sovereignty and perfect governance that would bring peace and justice.
