October

The Life and Legacy of Alexander the Great

Angela Ziskowski, Associate Professor of History
October 3, 10, 17, 24

Alexander the Great is one of the most famous figures from Greek history, even though many ancient Greeks would not have considered him a “real Greek.”  This four-week series led by Associate Professor History Angela Ziskowski will explore the ascent of the Macedonian state through the succession and legacy of Alexander the Great.  The series begins with an exploration of the meteoric rise of the kingdom of Macedon under the leadership of Alexander’s father, Philip II—who created an ideal situation for his son to take control of much of the ancient Mediterranean world and beyond.  In week two, we will examine how Alexander took control of the Macedonian kingdom after the death of his father and went on to carry out one of the largest military campaigns in history, conquering territory from Greece to India.  Week three explores how Alexander’s success and fame can be attributed to his personality and his control of the depiction of his image in visual culture.  The last session looks at Alexander’s Hellenistic successors and the ways in which much of the Mediterranean and even parts of Asia continued to be controlled by the Greco-Macedonians for hundreds of years to come, a major part of Alexander’s lasting impact on western and eastern history.