“Spes sit mihi certa videndi Niliacos fontes”. Alla ricerca di un confine del mondo, sulle tracce del grande Alessandro. Recensione a: Lorenzo Braccesi, Il grande Nilo. Esploratori, turisti e conquistatori nell'antico Egitto, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2025

Published in July 2025, one month before his death, Lorenzo Braccesi’s last book, Il Grande Nilo, explores the search for the source of the Nile, as well as the imagery associated with it in ancient times and over the centuries. These two themes are seamlessly intertwined throughout the narrative. Rather than focusing on the geography or history of exploration, Braccesi seeks and finds confirmation of a hypothesis concerning cultural history: the sources of the Nile have always inspired a quest, driving ideas, projects, and passions. The first protagonist in the search for the Nile’s sources is Alexander the Great, and the imitatio Alexandri ties the different stories together. The book’s chapters are dedicated to all the protagonists of ancient history who attempted the feat: Ptolemy Philadelphus, Juba, Caesar, Augustus, Germanicus, Caligula, Nero and Zenobia. According to Braccesi, they are all inspired by the imitatio Alexandri.