Spring 2000

Office: Seabury 405

Phone: 2393

Email: gary.reger@mail.trincoll.edu

Webpage: http://www2.trincoll.edu/~greger

Meeting Time: WF 1.15-2.30

Meeting Place: McCook 225

Office hours: M 1-3.30, F 11-12 in Seabury 405

For centuries, Alexander the Great, king of Makedon and conqueror of the Persian empire, has occupied a central place in historical thought and literary imagination. This course aims to set Alexander and his accomplishments in their historical context, starting with the Makedonian expansion under his father Philip II and ending with the first encroachments around 200 BC of the Romans into the Hellenistic world he helped to create.

Reading

Arrian, The Campaigns of Alexander, tr. Aubrey de Sélincourt, rev. J. R. Hamilton (London 1971).

J. M. Cook, The Persian Empire (New York 1983)

Isocrates, Panegyricus and To Nicocles, tr. Usher (London)

Handouts

There will be handouts for Weeks 3, 13, and 14. These will be available one week before they are due.

On Reserve in the Library

A.B. Bosworth, Conquest and Empire (R)

Plutarch, "Life of Alexander" (Loeb library text)

Demosthenes,  Orations (Loeb Classical Library, volume 1) (R)

Diodoros, Book 17 (Loeb library text)

Paul Bernard, "Nouvelle contribution de l’épigraphie cunéiforme à l’histoire hellénistique," BCH 114 (1990) 515-528

A.J. Heisserer, Alexander the Great and the Greeks. The Epigraphic Evidence (Norman 1980)

Quintus Curtius, Alexander, 2 vols. (Loeb library text): listed under Rolfe (the translator)

Christian Habicht, Gottmenschentum²

J.R. Ellis, Philip II and Macedonian Imperialism (London 1976)

N.G.L. Hammond, The Macedonian State. The Origins, Institutions and History (Oxford 1989)

W.W. Tarn, Alexander the Great

Ian Worthington, "How ‘Great’ Was Alexander?" Ancient History Bulletin 13 (1999) 39-55. (R)

Format

The class meets twice a week, on Wednesdays and Fridays. The Wednesday sessions will be devoted typically to lecture. Fridays we will discuss the readings for the week and hear student papers (see below, Assignments 2 and 3).

Assignments

1. Read the readings and participate in discussion.

2. Write one (1) brief paper on the readings. These papers of about 3 pages will be due on the Friday when we discuss the readings. You will read your paper aloud in class, and discussion will focus (at first, anyway) on your paper. There will be a respondent to your paper (see Assignment 3). The list of assignments is linked here.

3. Respond to one papers. Each student will give a brief (ca. 5 minute) oral response to two papers (as in 2 above) read by others on two different occasions. Responses should discuss substantively the merits of the interpretation of the readings presented in the papers. The list of assignments is linked here.

4. Write one of two papers on source problems. You will be investigating one of two problems in the interpretation of source material, viz.:

A. League of Corinth. Using texts and literary sources, reconstruct the constitution of the league. Reading: Diodoros 17. 4.1-9, 14; 18.8.2-7, 56.2-8 (R). Demosthenes, 17.2-30 (On the Peace) (R). Arrian 1.1.1. Plutarch, Life of Alexander 10.6-11 (R), Heisserer, p. 80-81 (R). Handout. Due: Feb. 11.

B. Murder of Kleitos. Compare the ways in which Arrian (Book 4, chapters 8-9), Quictus Curtius (8.1.19-8.2.12), and Plutarch (Life of Alexander 50-51, pp. 369-375) treat this episode. Which depend on which? Purposes? Due: Feb. 25.

5. Write a final research paper of 15-18 pages. This paper will be developed in consultation with me on the following schedule:

1. Meet with me to decide on a topic by no later than Friday, February 11.

2. Turn in a thesis statement of roughly 2 pp. and a bibliography of primary and secondary sources, the latter of which must include at least three (3) articles from scholarly journals, on Wednesday, February 23.

3. Turn in a rough draft by Friday, April 14. I will return these one week later. Please note: I will not be able to accept or read drafts turned in after April 14.

4. Give an oral presentation of your work on April 26 or 28 (length to be determined by enrollment).

5. Turn in completed final draft on Monday, May 3.

This paper must focus on primary source material, which is used to support an historical argument about some particular matter. It is not a narrative or a review of secondary literature. If you have never written a research paper before, see me for further information. Click here for paper topics of your classmates. Don't hesitate to share bibliography and books!

Schedule of Classes

Part I. The Background to Alexander’s Expedition

Week 1: Jan 19-21. The Nature and Structure of the Persian Empire in the Fourth Century

Readings: J.M. Cook, The Persian Empire 133-231

Week 2: Jan 26-28. Philip II of Makedon and the Makedonian Expansion

Readings: Demosthenes, "Third Philippic" (R); Hammond, Macedonian State, pp. 100-119, 137-177 (R)

Week 3: Feb 2-4. The Ideology of Greek Conquest of Persia: the First Megale Idea

Readings: Isokrates, Pan.(pp. 25-115 in Usher’s translation); Ellis, Philip II, pp. 181-210 (R); Hammond, Macedonian State pp. 192-204 (R);   foundation texts for the League of Corinth (handout)

Week 4: Feb 9-11. Alexander the King

Readings: Arrian pp. 41-65; Bosworth 19-43; Ellis, Philip II, pp. 211-234

Feb 11: Library session with Susan Gilroy

Week 5: Feb 16-18. MIDSESSION. Classes suspended.

Part II. Alexander’s Expedition

Week 6: Feb 23-25. The Push into Asia

Readings: Arrian pp. 65-200; Bosworth 44-93

Week 7: Mar 1-3. Alexander at the Farthest Reaches of Persia

Readings: Arrian pp. 201-375; Bosworth 94-173

Week 8: Mar 8-10. Alexander at Babylon

Readings: Arrian pp. 375-398; Bosworth 166-168, 170-173; Astronomical Diaries (handout) with Paul Bernard, "Nouvelle contribution de l’épigraphie cunéiforme à l’histoire hellénistique," BCH 114 (1990) 515-528. (R)

Week 9: Mar 15-17. The "Fusion" of Persians and Makedonians

Readings: Arrian 000-000; W.W. Tarn, Alexander the Great 2.399-449; Bosworth 229-241, 266-273

Week 10: Mar 22-24. SPRING VACATION. Classes do not meet.

Week 11: Mar 29-31. Alexander and the Greek Cities

Readings: Heisserer, pp. 79-95, 118-141 (R); Empereur, Alexandria Rediscovered, pp. 36-109, 176-211 (R); P.M. Fraser, Ptolemaic Alexandria, pp. 3-37 (R); Bosworth 245-258

Week 12: Apr 5-7. Alexander the God

Readings: Arrian 7.23; Bosworth 278-290; Christian Habicht, Gottmenschentum und griechische Staedte² (Munich 1970) 17-36.

Part III. The Aftermath of Alexander’s Achievement and the Beginning of the Hellenistic Age

Week 13: Apr 12-14. The Collapse of Alexander’s Empire

Readings: Diodoros of Sicily, Books 18-20 (sections on history of Greece only) (R)

Week 14: Apr 19-21. Assessing Alexander's Historical Achievement

Readings: Ian Worthington, "How 'Great' Was Alexander?" Ancient History Bulletin 13 (1999) 39-55;  Frank L. Holt, "Alexander the Great Today: In the Interests of  Historical Accuracy?" AHB 13 (1999) 111-117;   Ian Worthington, "Alexander and 'The Interests of Historical Accuracy': A Reply," AHB 13 (1999) 136-140 (all R).

Week 15: Apr 26-28. Presentations of papers

Presentations should be no more than four (4) minutes with one minute for questions. I will cut you off if you go over, so plan carefully! Aim to cover: the historical question you are exploring; the primary sources; your approach; your general argument and conclusions.

    I, April 26: Scott Akins, Jordan Berger, John Davis, Alexander Fleming, Rebecca Ginsberg, George Kaneb, Cory Madera, John Meagher, Thom Peck, Joe Romano, Kristina Scott, Peter Staaf, Brendon Sullivan, Scott Wallach (14)

    II, April 28: Ramsey Baghdadi, George Brown, Thomas Devine, William Gambrill, George Hutton, David Kleiner,  Ari Malcolm, Duncan Pearson, Ethan Rice, Casey Savage, Faisal Sheikh,  Christian Sterling, Natasha Sullivan (13)

Final paper due: Monday, May 3.