This semester, students in Prof. Caldwell’s Alexander the Great course (HIST 374) read ancient sources on Alexander’s military conquests (Arrian’s Anabasis), life (Plutarch’s Life of Alexander) and afterlife (the Alexander Romance; the art of the Romans and Andy Warhol, among others). Research groups investigated topics related to Alexander’s 11,000-mile journey with his troops, and took the class’ own Alexander action figure on a campaign (Greek: anabasis) around the Trinity campus, as pictured below. At the end of the course, students were assigned to use evidence to debate whether we’re justified today in referring to Alexander — whose main aims were war and conquest — as ‘”great.”

Stop #1: The 2018 Anabasis (“campaign”) of Alexander begins! This semester’s HIST 374: Alexander the Great students are posing A’s action figure at points on the Trinity campus. Greg McGowan, John Wagner, and Ferran Brown chose the first stop: “The figure purposefully has its back towards the viewer as our group concluded that the image of Alexander’s face should be up for interpretation. Additionally, the figure is positioned looking uphill facing Trinity’s Chapel, signifying Alexander’s aspirations to divinity.” Stay tuned for more.

Stop #2: The 2018 Anabasis (Campaign) of Alexander the Great continues! Liam McDonough, Corey Cheung, and Joe McDermott perched him strategically atop a cornerstone from the original Trinity campus in downtown Hartford. Their team-building quotation (from Plutarch?): “Remember that upon the conduct of each depends the fate of all.”

Stop #3: The Anabasis (“campaign”) of Alexander the Great continues! Today he pauses at one of Trinity’s Greek letter organizations, Alpha Delta Phi. Nico Benitz, Jamie Noonan, and John Fisher note: “We chose this to represent Alexander’s continued support for and alliance with the Greek city-states as established by his father, King Phillip II of Macedon in the League of Corinth.”

Stop #4: After a brief hiatus, the Anabasis (“campaign”) of Alexander the Great has resumed! Jon Pacilio, Sam Ganeles, and Scott Brazina offer the following caption: “We took this photo to highlight Alexander’s focus on using athletic events (such as track and field events) to increase troop camaraderie, overall welfare, and morale.”