Alexander the Great

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

Alexander of Macedon lived an unbelievable life. He conquered from Greece all the way to India, forever changing the world as the Greeks knew it. Along the way, he became the son of Zeus and even a god. Who was Alexander? How did he view the world, and the world him? Together we will analyze the ancient narratives of Alexander’s life and the afterlife, discerning as best we can his worldview, how others responded to and made sense of him, and how he shaped our institutions and imagination. Our reading includes: Arrian, Plutarch, Curtius, Hellenistic historiography, and the Alexander Romance.