Students will learn to understand current historiographical trends and debates in the study of the Hellenistic world, in particular the nature and impact of the empire under Alexander and the Seleukids. While focusing on this problem of 'Hellenism in East', students will become acquainted with the integration of diverse source material—archaeology, epigraphy, numismatics, and narrative historiography—that is typical of Ancient History, and learn how ancient historians moreover make use of social and anthropological theory in solving historical problems. They will ultimately be able to position themselves within the scholarly debates on empire, colonialism and acculturation in the Hellenistic period.
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The Hellenistic Age was a period of intensified globalization. Between c. 330–150 BCE, the Macedonian empires of Alexander the Great and his successors created direct connections between the Mediterranean and Central Asia/India, vastly extending the pre-existing Achaemenid world of ‘global’ connectivity. People migrated over larger distances than ever before, and from Malaga to Samarkand, Greek was used as a language of intercultural communication. It was also in this period that the system of connected trade routes known as the Silk Road came into existence.
In the early nineteenth century, the Hellenistic period was defined in terms of acculturation, and questions concerned with interactions in art and religion between 'East' and 'West' continue to dominate research agendas. The modern understanding of these interactions however have undergone several radical paradigm shifts, and 'Hellenism' has become an increasingly controversial term that has often been associated with modern political issues.
This seminar introduces students to current debates about the historical and cultural developments that took place after the Macedonian conquest of the Persian Empire. The focus will be on Alexander the Great, the Diadochs and the Seleukid Empire. The main questions are:
1. What is an 'empire'?
2. What is 'Hellenism'?
3. What are 'East' and 'West'?
The focus will be on imperialism and Hellenistic Kingship. Using a variety of ancient sources, including coins, inscriptions and cuneiform texts, Students will be challenged to critically evaluate theories and models put forward by historians and archaeologists to make sense of the complex cultural and political entanglements of the Hellenistic ‘Age of Empires’.
The entrance requirements for Exchange Students will be checked by the International Office and the Programme coordinator. Acceptance is not self-evident.
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