The Life and Legacy of Alexander the Great

This course examines the life and career of Alexander the Great and explores the rise of Macedonia and Hellenistic Period. You will be encouraged to think critically about a variety of sources of evidence from the ancient world (e.g., textual, archaeological, artistic, numismatic), and from later tradition as well. We will consider the legacy of Alexander the Great and judge whether he is worthy of the immortality he has achieved. Some of the topics we will consider include:

• The historiographical problems of establishing the truth to Alexander’s accomplishments and associated stories in order to arrive at a “real” Alexander.
• The strategical lessons that can be learned from Alexander’s military campaigns, and what we can extrapolate from these lessons that can be applied to our everyday lives.
• The lasting effects of his of his victories and how it shaped subsequent historical events.
• The long-term impact on the diversity of people incorporated, briefly, within his empire

We will also consider his reaching impact far into the future and examine a legacy that reaches us today. We will consider such things like the Medieval Alexander tradition and how he is presented in pop culture and Hollywood movies.