CLAS 2330 Alexander the Great: History and Tradition

CLAS 2330 Alexander the Great: History and Tradition
Alexander the Great: History and Tradition
Alexander the Great (356-323) is justifiably one of the most celebrated figures of antiquity. Conquering all of the Greek world and Asia from the Mediterranean to the Indus River in Pakistan by the age of 30, he unquestionably changed the world, bringing Greeks, Macedonians, Persians, Egyptians and Jews into close contact and exchange. But who was the historical Alexander? Was he a charismatic strategist, a genius and visionary? Or a paranoid, alcoholic, and violent megalomaniac who brought about the end of his dynasty and left his empire, and much of the world, in chaos? Many wrote about his life in exploits, but the problematic nature if the ancient sources presents serious difficulties in reconstructing an account of the 'historical' Alexander. We will explore various genres (history, fiction, myth, biography) and sources (literary, visual, archaeological) to analyze critically the sources and uses of Alexander in various periods and places of history.
credit hours: 3