The Ancient Discourse of Nizami’s Poem “Iskender-nameh”

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the specificity and functions of ancient discourse in Nizami Ganjavi’s po-em “Iskandar-nameh”. The authors of the work define how the Hellenic philosophical heritage and the macro-narrative about Alexander the Great (Iskander) are reinterpreted within the framework of the Middle Eastern poetic tradition. Particular attention is paid to the images of ancient thinkers (Aristotle, Plato, Socrates) and their role in shaping the concept of the ideal ruler. Using comparative-historical and discursive analysis, the work explicates the mechanisms of cultural synthesis carried out by Nizami. The research has proven that the an-cient discourse in the poem serves not merely as a decorative element but as a conceptual foundation for con-structing an anthropocentric model of society. The obtained findings deepen the understanding of the intercul-tural dialogue between East and West and the unique character of the renaissance in the Eastern philosophical and literary tradition.