Skip to main content
What types of page to search?

Popular pages: Undergraduate Postgraduate PhD Accommodation Research International students

Alternatively use our A-Z index.

Alexander the Great: The Man and the Myth

5 weekly sessions, on Tuesdays at 2- 4pm, starting from Tuesday 27 January. Not ready for enrolment. Details will be added soon.

Overview

Alexander the Great is one of the most famous figures from ancient history, but he remains an enigmatic figure – half soldier and king, and half the myth and legend he was already becoming during his own lifetime. This course will explore the history and legend of Alexander the Great, using historical sources and archaeological evidence from antiquity, and exploring how Alexander has been used and received in later history. In this course we will explore the man behind the myth – an exceptional military leader and conqueror, but a flawed individual – and consider the impact that he had on not just his own times, but later history.

This course aims to introduce students to an important period of ancient Greek history, focusing on a popular and engaging figure, and using him as a focus to explore the wider world around him. It will aim to improve students' understanding of the Hellenistic period, and enable students to develop critical analyses of ancient sources of evidence, particularly reading historical texts.

No prior knowledge would be needed for this course as students will be introduced on the basis of no background in the subject, but an interest in ancient Greek history would be an advantage.

Syllabus

  1. Raising a King: Alexander’s Early Life
  2. Becoming a King: Alexander’s Early Reign
  3. From King to Conqueror: Alexander at War
  4. From Conqueror to Legend: Alexander’s Later Life & Death
  5. From Man to Myth: Alexander the Great in History & Legend

Course lecturer

Dr Joanne Ball is a Roman archaeologist specialising in the Roman army, the Roman provinces (particularly Britain), and tombstones. In addition to teaching and research, Joanne writes for a number of popular history publications and appears on a number of podcasts. Joanne's first book, a biography of Publius Quinctilius Varus, was published by Pen and Sword books in August 2023. 

Course fee

  • Standard fee: £80
  • Concession fee: £40