GRS 333 Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic World WINTER 2008 Class Meets: Monday, Thursday 11:30 AM -12:50 PM; CLE A 311 Instructor: Dr. G. Kron, CLE B421, E-mail: gkron@uvic.ca Office Hours: Wednesday 2:30-3:30 p.m., Thursday 1:30-2:30 p.m., or by appointment Required Texts: G. Shipley, The Greek World After Alexander 323-30 B.C. (London & New York: Routledge, 2000) Arrian, The Campaigns of Alexander (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1971) Plutarch, The Age of Alexander (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1973) Optional Texts: Curtius Rufus, The Life of Alexander (New York: Penguin, 1984) M. M. Austin, The Hellenistic World from Alexander to the Roman Conquest: A Selection of Ancient Sources in Translation (2 nd edn., Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2006) Historical Sources: (copies will be placed on reserve in the MacPherson Library): Roger S. Bagnall, Peter Derow (eds.), The Hellenistic Period (New York: Penguin, 1984) Polybius, The Histories (New York: Twayne Publishing, 1966) Theocritus, The Greek Bucolic Poets (Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1960) Apollonius Rhodius, The Voyage of Argo: the Argonautica (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1959) Menander, The Principal Fragments (Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1959) Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers (Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1958-9) Course Description: This course will examine Alexander the Great's campaign to conquer the Persian Empire, as well as the political, social, intellectual and cultural history of Hellenistic civilization in the regions settled by the Greeks or conquered by Alexander, particularly Greece, Asia Minor, and the Near East. Course Requirements: i) Mid-term test to be administered in class, October 16th. Students will be asked several short answer questions and to comment on several passages from the ancient sources. ii) Short research essay (approximately 10-12 pages, 2,500 to 3,000 words excluding notes and bibliography, 25-35 hours work) due November 20th. Plagiarism is a serious offence. Consult the policy of the University on academic integrity on pages 33-34 of the calendar. iii) 3-hour Final Examination. Students will be able to choose from a range of short answer, comment, and essay questions. Carefully check the examination timetable before making any travel plans. Grades: Attendance and Class Participation: 5% Mid-term test: 25% Research Essay: 30%
2 Final Examination: 40% You are obliged to sit all scheduled tests and exams and to submit your research essay by the due date posted. All course requirements must be completed to receive a passing grade. For a final grade of A+ the student must achieve an A+ on the final exam.
3 Any percentage marks will be converted to a letter grade, according to the following scale: % Letter Grade GPA 95-100 A+ 4.3 90-94 A 4.0 85-89 A- 3.7 80-84 B+ 3.3 75-79 B 3.0 70-74 B- 2.7 65-69 C+ 2.3 60-64 C 2.0 50-59 D 1.0 0-49 F 0 Tentative Course Schedule (subject to minor adjustment as circumstances warrant) Sept. 4 Sept. 8 Sept. 11 Sept. 15 Sept. 18 Sept. 22-25 Sept. 29 Introduction to Course; Sources and Historiography Shipley, Chapter 1 (pp. 1-32) J. R. Hamilton, The Campaigns of Alexander: Introduction (pp. 13-40) Philip II and Alexander's Early Years; the Persian Empire Plutarch, Life of Demosthenes Plutarch, Life of Alexander 1-15 Arrian 1.1-1.11 (pp. 40-65) Persia Handout Alexander's Campaigns to the Battle of Issus Plutarch, Life of Alexander 15-18 Arrian 1.11-2.13 (pp. 65-124) The Sack of Tyre, Alexander as Pharaoh, the Oracle at Siwa Plutarch Alexander 18-30 Arrian 2.13-3.6 (pp. 124-56) The Battle of Gaugamela to the Death of Darius Plutarch, Life of Alexander 31-8 Arrian 1.1-2.3 (pp. 156-91) Trouble at Court & Camp Plutarch, Life of Alexander 39-56; 62; 71-2 Arrian 3.26-4.15; 7.6-15 (pp. 191-227; 356-74) The Conquest of Eastern Iran, Afghanistan, India Plutarch, Life of Alexander 42-7; 57-65
4 Arrian 4.15-5.29 (pp. 227-300) Oct. 2 The March Back to Babylon & Alexander's Last Days Plutarch, Life of Alexander 66-77 Arrian 7.16-30 (pp. 375-98) Oct. 6-9 Oct. 13 Oct. 16 Oct. 20 Oct. 23 Oct. 27 Oct. 30 Nov. 3 Nov. 11 Nov. 14; 17 Nov. 20 The Conquests of Alexander & Geography of Empire Film Presentation: Michael Wood's In The Footsteps of Alexander NO CLASS THANKSGIVING DAY MID-TERM TEST The Administration of Empire and Alexander's Successors Plutarch, Life of Phocion Shipley, Chapter 2 King and City Shipley, Chapter 3 Austin 19; 44; 49; 51; 113; 116; 125; 134; 183; 188; 216 Literature and Social Identity Shipley, Chapter 7 Austin 117; 119; 121; 123 Theocritus, Idylls 2; 6 Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica III, vv. 744-911 Menander, Epitrepontes Hellenistic Science and Scholarship Shipley, Chapter 9 Science and Scholarship Handout Religion and Philosophy Shipley, Chapter 5 Austin 128; 129 Diogenes Laertius, Epicurus, Zeno of Citium, Theophrastus READING BREAK: NO CLASS Wonders of the World and Economic Development Economy Handout RESEARCH ESSAY DUE Macedonia and Greece Shipley, Chapter 4
5 Austin 48; 53; 55; 83; 87; 89; 92; 94; 96 Nov. 24; 27 Dec. 1 Dec. 6-20 Ptolemaic Egypt Shipley, Chapter 6 Austin 219; 227; 232; 236; 253; 260; 262; 276-7 Theocritus, Idylls 15; 17 The Seleucid Kingdom and Pergamum Shipley, Chapter 8 Austin 138; 141; 148-9; 166; 168; 172; 174; 180; 189; 191; 193-4; 208 Final Examination Period For Full-Text Translations of Many Ancient Greek Texts: Perseus Online: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/perscoll?collection=greco-roman If the U.S. server is overloaded you may wish to try: http://perseus.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/cgi-bin/perscoll?collection=greco-roman or http://perseus.csad.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/perscoll?collection=greco-roman MIT's The Classics Internet Archive http://classics.mit.edu/ Online Bibliographies and Link Lists on Alexander the Great Waldemar Hackel http://www.ucalgary.ca/~heckel/alexande.htm Konrad Kinzl's Online Bibliography on Alexander http://www.trentu.ca/ahc/ch207b-bib.html James Davidson http://www.bbk.ac.uk/hca/classics/alexander.htm Timothy Spalding http://www.isidore-of-seville.com/alexanderama.html