Poll Results: Research Project Choice

A few days ago I created a research project poll for my readers to take. I wanted to complete a history research paper and narrowed the potential topics to three choices:

1. What caused the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire?

2. Did the Byzantine Empire ever have an ability to become a strong power again after the reconquest of Constantinople in 1261?

3. What were the main causes for the success of the Macedonians in subjugating the Greek city-states?

I can not thank enough everyone who voted, and really made me feel like my words do not stay self-contained to myself. In the end, we had a very close race with all three choices being in the lead at one point. At the final tally, choice one was one vote behind both two and three. Due to this unexpected draw, I am going to cast the deciding vote. I am choosing to look into question three: "What were the main causes for the success of the Macedonians in subjugating the Greek city-states?" I am choosing question three over two because I had recently completed a different research project on the mid to late Byzantine Empire and want to branch out more. I think it could be really interesting to look into the atmosphere of Greece right before it was conquered by Philip II of Macedonia. Looking at what had changed from the height of the Greek city-states strength, and what made them so easily beaten down. In addition, the Kingdom of Macedonia is very interesting, especially in the period leading up to Alexander's great conquest. Much of Macedonia's history is summed up only in Alexander's work, but this kingdom outlasted Alexander by hundreds of years and preexisted him as well.

I want to start off by looking for sources that I can check out. These sources will be all books at the moment and will be accessible in the Minuteman library system.

A history of the classical Greek world: 478-323 B.C. / P.J. Rhodes I am hoping to get an overarching viewpoint of all the Hellenistic world with this book. The book fits into the time period I am looking at and includes all the areas I want to look at. Philip II of Macedonia: greater than Alexander / Richard A. Gabriel A specific history of Philip II, the king of Macedonia during the invasion of Greece. By the spear: Philip II, Alexander the Great, and the rise and fall of the Macedonian empire / Ian Worthington This work specifically talks about the rise of Macedonia, and I am hoping to learn about the specific situation in mainland Greece during Philips invasion.

These are a very preliminary group of books that I am optimistic will have good use. I am absolutely sure I will be using many more sources, but these should be a strong first step. As I make progress on this project I will update it here under the History category.