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Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic Age
- Narrated by: Jeremy McInerney
- Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
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Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic Age
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Summary
This series of 24 lectures examines a crucial period in the history of the ancient world, the age ushered in by the extraordinary conquests of Alexander the Great. In all the annals of the ancient world, few stories are more gripping than those from this era.
In the opening lectures, you'll explore the enigma of Alexander, son of a brilliant father, yet always at odds with the man whom he succeeded. You'll trace his early campaigns against the Persians and follow him to Egypt, where he was acclaimed as the son of god. You'll then look at his career after this and find in him a blend of greatness and madness as he strove to replace the Persian empire of the Achaemenid dynasty with a new, mixed ruling class of Macedonians and Persians.
From there, you'll delve into the catastrophic period after Alexander's death in 323 B.C., which ushered in a period of catastrophic change as ambitious warlords carved up Alexander's realm into their own separate empires. You'll learn about each of the three kingdoms that resulted: Ptolemaic Egypt, Seleucid Syria, and the Attalid Empire in Asia Minor. Just as important to these lectures are the in-depth discussions of the bounties of Hellenistic culture, which contributed landmark ideas in everything from philosophy (which became more academic), art and architecture (with its excessive, naked emotions), and religion (especially the growing popularity of cult movements). Taken all together, these lectures are an engrossing and riveting journey into ancient history-and the life and times of the man who left an indelible mark on everything that would come after.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
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What listeners say about Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic Age
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- EmilyK
- 24-11-18
Engaging lectures from a favorite professor
Professor McInerney is one of my favorites of the Great Courses history professors. His lecturing style and speaking voice are easy to take in, and I think he does a great job of balancing an overview with in depth explorations of some of the controversies, and asking provocative questions, especially at the end of lectures. If I were using this for homeschooling or similar pursuits, I would start with his course on Ancient Greek Civilization, though this could be a good follow up.
On this course specifically, it is good to note that only the first lectures deal with Alexander himself, and most of the course deals with the Hellenistic world he and his generals spawned. Prof McInerney does a good job (as in the other course referenced above) of balancing political history with Hellenistic, art, literature, and culture. He has a dry sense of humor and the pace of the lectures was well done, always captivating to me.
If using this to homeschool, I note that the outline and reflection questions in the PDF are especially good.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Pathfour
- 08-05-23
Superb
A superb series of lectures, which are comprehensive in scope, full of fascinating theses and eloquently delivered.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Jurgen R Gatt
- 26-01-19
An Excellent Thematic Introduction
A good introductory series of lectures, not so much for the history of the Hellenistic Age, but for its general themes. The performance is, as usual for TGC, excellent.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ed
- 14-11-16
fascinating
I have listened to this lecture series twice now. It is an excellent introduction to a vital period of antiquity and I recommend it for content and delivery
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Jake
- 28-07-20
One of the best Great Courses. Analytical.
Unlike many of The Great Courses' lecturers, this one has an opinion on his chosen topic, and looks beyond texts to other sources such as archaeology to form analyses and narratives. The lecturer examines in excruciating detail, and then steps back to contextualise his sources under holistic and relatable frameworks such as economics, politics, and culture.
The Hellenistic world is deromanticised and brought down to a more humane point-of-view. I find this perspective of history far more beautiful than the worship of powerful men and women, which some academics find the primary alure of historical study. And this appreciation for introspection, as opposed to the extroversion of grandiose conquest, is evident in the passionate tone of the speaker. His expressions give a 'feeling' of the historical world we are examining, and of that 'moment' of a period in history which we have seemingly forgotten: the moment when humanity first stepped out into a more connected, civilised and mature world. This is a rare and commendable achievement for a public speaker, let alone an academic.
If I were to have a criticism, it would be that perhaps the course should be simply titled "The Hellenistic World," or "After Alexander: the Hellenistic World" as opposed to the jarring prepending of "Alexander," in an effort to make you think it is about Alexander. It is not. This course works despite the marketers, not because of them.
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