History of Greece: Homer to Alexander (ANCW20022)

The subject covers the history of Ancient Greece from the beginning of the Archaic Period (the age of Homer) to the Hellenistic period (the age of Alexander). The main emphases will be the political, literary and cultural developments within Greek Civilisation during the Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic periods.

The emergence of the polis, debates on political systems such as democracy, oligarchy and tyranny, the use of myths and religion, the critical interactions with non-Greeks and the resulting efflorescence of the Greek literary traditions will all be examined. Furthermore, the military history of the Archaic, Classical and post-Alexander Greek worlds, as well as the extraordinary advances in Greek science, literature and philosophy during these periods will be explored. The subject will also provide detailed presentation of modern scholarship on topics such as Greek ethnography, politics, warfare, 'colonisation', migration and acculturation.