Day 1: US-Athens
Day 2: Visits to the most important archaeological sites in Athens. Following the route of the Panathenaic procession from the civic center (Agora), with visits to the reconstructed Stoa of Attilus and the superbly preserved temple, the Hephaisteion, then up the Sacred Way to the Acropolis (“High City”), to view the famous structures there: the Propylaia (Entry), the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion, and the Parthenon. You can also see from there the Aeropagus where Paul debated with the philosophers and delivered his famous speech in Acts 17. Later, descend to the Theatre of Dionysos, where all of the ancient Greek plays that have survived had their debuts.
Day 3: Today is back-to-school day! Your assignment: Pick a god, hero, or favorite myth, and go through the National Archaeological Museum (a daunting place!) to find representations of your subject(s). Does the iconography for your figure change at all over time? Is the iconography consistent in the various media (e.g. vase painting and sculpture), or varied? What (or which examples) do you find the most interesting in regard to your subject(s)? Results will be shared with the group later in the day.
Day 4: According to legend, the Oracle at Delphi informed Oedipus that he would kill his father and marry his mother. The oracle also declared that no one was wiser than Socrates. On this day, we will travel from Athens to Delphi, spending most of the day at the archaeological site, enjoying its striking natural beauty, its variety of structures, and the little gem of a museum on-site. When we leave, we begin our trip to the southern area of Greece (the Peloponnesus), staying the night in Corinth.
Day 5: Every four years, the various independent (and often fractious) city-states of Greece would put aside their differences and come to Olympia to compete in the Olympic games. Victory in the games was, perhaps, even more celebrated in ancient times than now. On this day, you can walk among the ruins of this impressive site—or even take a lap in the ancient stadium! Some of the most impressive works of ancient sculpture may be viewed at the archaeological museum here. Be sure not to miss the pedimental group from the Temple of Zeus, and Praxiteles’ Hermes with the Baby Dionysos.
Day 6: On this day, we travel even further back in time, to the beautiful sites of Mycenae and Tiryns. Even the Greeks of the Classical period (480 – 323 BCE) could not fathom the building methods of these great sites (dating to the late 2nd millennium BCE), naming it “Cyclopian,” supposing that the great walls formed by such massive stones must have been erected by Cyclopses, rather than human beings. Visit the majestic tombs of the Mycenaean kings. Later in the day, we go to the sole remaining theatre preserved in the original Greek style, at Epidaurus. The theatre is still used for performances of various kinds. You will be amazed at the acoustics of this great outdoor theatre.
Day 7: Ancient Corinth, the “sin city” of the ancient world! Favored by patron goddess, Aphrodite, this city was famous for its arts…and its prostitutes and Vegas-style distractions. Oddly enough, it is also famous in Christian history as a place Paul had to work doubly hard to keep his audience in tow! We will spend the morning at the archaeological site here, and then head back to Athens for the short flight to Lesvos (ancient Lesbos, the beautiful island of the love-poetess, Sappho). For the next two days, you will be staying on the beach. (The ancient proverb, “chalepa ta kala”—“good things are difficult,” does not apply in this case!)
Day 8: A day to rest on the shores of the Aegean. After a relaxing breakfast next to the sea – a meal that brings repeat-guests to Hotel Votsala on the early flight from Athens! – you can lounge by the Aegean, take archaeological walking tours from the hotel, or bus into Mytilene, Lesbos’ largest city, for shopping, museum hopping, or simply to soak up some of the local ambience. In the late afternoon you have the opportunity to take a hiking tour into the mountains above Thermi, the village where the hotel is located. The tour ends with a traditional late evening dinner at a mountain village taverna.
Day 9: The day begins with a short ferry trip across the 12 km of open sea to reach Ayvalik, Turkey. After a short visit to the town’s famed bazaar we travel to ancient Assos (modern-day Behramkale). Founded in the 700s by colonists from Lesbos, and ruled for a time by a student of Plato, Hermias of Atarneus, it was home to a group of philosophers invited there by Hermas. In 348 BCE Aristotle came here to marry Hermeias's niece, Pythia. Six years later the area was overrun by the Persians and ruled by them until Alexander’s arrival in the fourth century. Paul also visited the city during his third missionary journey through Asia Minor on his way to Lesbos.
Day 10: This day is devoted to seeing some of the so-called “lesser sites” in western Turkey. But don’t tell the locals that’s how some guidebooks describe Troy and Pergamum, and by the end of the day you’ll be wanting to correct the authors, too. Troy, of course, is the site of the epic war between the armies of the Achaeans and the Trojans, set sometime in the twelfth century BCE; to stand in the place Homer depicts so vividly is an experience you’ll not soon forget. Pergamum is ages and worlds apart, the home of a Hellenistic kingdom founded in 282 BCE. Its library was second only to the one in Alexandria, and its Acropolis evokes some of the splendor of Athens. At the base of mountain of the Acropolis is the Red Basilica, a temple of Serapis converted by the Christians in the second century CE. One of the letters in Revelation was addressed to this Christian community.
Day 11: After traveling to Ephesus we spend the day in a true archaeological wonderland. Considered the best preserved Greco-Roman city, Curetes Street in Ephesus is so well excavated that you feel as though you are walking down the main street of a living city, the façade of the library of Celsus is a stunning sight, the theater is production-ready, and the list goes on. Ephesus will take your breath away. It certainly nearly took Paul’s breath away – this is the city where a run-in with the worshippers at the temple of Artemis, the city’s chief goddess, nearly led to violence (Acts 19).
Day 12: There is a small archaeological museum on Samos, well worth a visit. But this won’t take all day. The rest of the time, enjoy this popular Greek island, shopping in Pythagorio, touring the island, or enjoying the sparkling waters of the Aegean Sea at the beach.
Day 13: Back in Athens for some last-minute shopping in the Plaka—Athens’ beautiful shopping area at the foot of the Acropolis—or return to your favorite places for a last visit.
Day 14: Athens-US
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Price includes faculty guides, accommodations, ground transportation and most meals. Costs are per person and based on double occupancy. A limited amount of single rooms are available at an additional charge. Travelers will arrange their own air transportation to Athens. Participants are highly encouraged to purchase travel insurance.
