CLAS 496: Alexander the Great: Myth and History
Mondays and Wednesdays: 9:30-11:20
Room: Johnson Hall, Room 111
Instructor: Prof. Lahiri (ralahiri@uw.edu)
5 Credits, (Gen Ed: A&H, [Optional] W)
Description:
In his short life, Alexander III of Macedon made himself into a mythical figure: son of Zeus Ammon, the great conqueror, a Persian king of kings. In death, the myths of Alexander the Great proliferated and multiplied as they have for few other human beings.
This course explores the mythic dimensions of the historical Alexander, and the historical significance of the mythic Alexander.
Along the way, we find versions of Alexander at the ends of the earth and in the depths of the sea; Alexanders who serve as paragons of kingly virtue or destroyers of ancient knowledge; stories of Alexander that epitomize the heights of human power—and the ability of fortune to overthrow even the mightiest.
All readings in English
Provisional Units
1: The Historical Alexander
2: Birth of the Romance
3: Alexander in Religious Traditions
4: Gender and Sexuality
5: Marvels, wonders, and imaginary geography
6: Wisdom traditions
7: Death and Immortality