History - Alexander the Great: Man&Myth

Catalog description

This course explores the life, times, and legacy of Alexander the Great (356-323 BCE). It covers the historical context of ancient Greece and Macedon from which Alexander emerged; his engagement with ancient Greek, Egyptian, and Persian cultures; his military campaigns; his aims in creating an empire; and the immediate aftermath of his conquests. In addition, the course considers the role of “great men” in history and historiographical problems in reconstructing the past. It also explores how the image of Alexander has been transmitted, interpreted, challenged, and reshaped from antiquity to the present. Topics may include: the use of the memory of Alexander by later Greeks and Romans; the medieval Alexander tradition; responses to Alexander in Middle Eastern and Indian thought and literature; the legacy of Alexander’s conquests in the age of empires; his transformation in Hollywood; and his contested place in the modern political dispute between Greece and North Macedonia. (Same as CLSX 322.) Satisfies: Arts and Humanities (AH) , Goal 3 Arts and Humanities (GE3H)