CLAS 2034 - Alexander the Great and the Decline of Greece

This course explores the history of Greece and Macedonia from the end of the fifth century BC down to 323 BC. The defeat and occupation of Athens brought an end to the Peloponnesian War, and an end to the city's Golden Age, but it did not bring lasting peace to the Hellenic world. Consequently, Greek politics in the first half of the fourth century BC was characterised by a bitter contest for hegemony as successive powers sought to dominate. We shall review that struggle, and also present a detailed consideration of the careers of the two remarkable Macedonian kings who empathically settled matters and imposed their authority on the Hellenic world. Those monarchs were among the most remarkable men in ancient history: Philip II, who transformed his kingdom into the supreme power in the eastern Mediterranean, and the incomparable Alexander the Great, who built on his father's legacy to conquer the known world.