Over the centuries, historians’ views of Alexander the Great have oscillated from the extreme positive, a sort of bright star illuminating the world, to extreme negative, a black hole of destruction.  On the one hand, Alexander has been presented as a hideous and degenerate warlord, thirsty for power and obsessed with the idea that he was a god, a force of darkness bringing death and destruction wherever he went. On the other, he has been seen as a brave visionary of a new civilized world, in which people live in peace and prosperity, without national or racial discrimination. 

Which one of these two views comes closer to reality? In this lecture, UMSL Global welcomes Professor Apostolidis, one of the leading historians of Alexander, will discuss Alexander’s military strategy, political ingenuity, contribution to the science of his time, and the number of cities he founded all across Asia and Egypt, in an effort to establish the true face of this hero. Alexander’s legacy lived on for centuries after his death and shaped our world.  Understanding who he was is a fundamental issue in world history. 

NOTE: this event will be simulcast on the UMSL Global YouTube page.