Theseus killing the minotaur in the Labyrinth.... Agamemnon
sailing off for Troy, and returning to his murderous
wife...Pericles overseeing the construction of the
Parthenon....Socrates teaching in the Athenian
marketplace...The struggle for independence in the
1820's...The awful years of World War II. All of these
events occurred not in a dusty history book, but in a dusty
country, a country filled with breathtaking physical beauty
as well as some of the finest people on earth. Austin Peay
offers the opportunity for a unique program of study in
Greece. Our program offers a look at Greece which is not
solely focused on the ancient world, but includes much that
is modern. Our goal is to introduce you to a complex country
which has a rich ancient heritage, as well as a thriving
modern culture.
Your guide on this odyssey will be Dr. Timothy F. Winters,
professor of Classics at Austin
Peay State University. Dr. Winters lived in Greece for two
years, during which time he studied archaeology and history
at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, and
became a life-long admirer of modern Greece. Dr. Winters has
excavated in Greece, and has returned many summers for
teaching and research. In the Summer of 2000, he was the
Gertrude Smith Professor of Classics for the American School
of Classical Studies at Athens.
Our students follow two courses: Ancient Greek Art and
Archaeology, and Modern Greek Language. The archaeology
course involves an initial intensive textbook survey of the
development of Greek art, as students become familiar with
the major sites which have been excavated over the last 150
years. This information is presented in its historical
context. Once we finish the classroom survey, we embark on
three weeks of site visits. During that time we visit
practically every major site studied, as well as some minor
ones.
Since the best way to approach a new culture is through a
study of its language, our students also study basic Modern
Greek. We are in an immersion setting, and students are
encouraged to speak only Greek whenever possible. In the
course of this instruction, we discuss many aspects of
modern Greek culture, including literature, music, dance,
religion, and society. The goal is to become comfortable
speaking Greek in common, everyday situations. In addition
to this, students usually make friends in Greece with whom
they can correspond.
The North coast of the island of Crete. For some more great
photos of Crete and Thera click here.
The program opens with two weeks in the city of Chania on
the Northwest coast of the island of Crete. Our hotel sits
directly across the street from a long stretch of beautiful,
white, sandy beach. The first Saturday on Crete, we hike the
Samaria Gorge, the European equivalent to the Grand Canyon.
This is a 16 km. hike through a wooded mountain, which leads
out to the south coast of Crete and the Libyan sea. We then
board a boat to return to Chania. While in Chania, we visit
the local museum for an introductory session on the
development of Greek pottery. We also sample the local night
life. When we leave Chania, we visit some sites associated
with the Greek War of Independence and the Second World War
and then begin the tour of sites on Crete with stops at a
Bronze Age cemetery, a 16th century monastery, and a cave
site, then on to Phaistos, Agia Triadha, and Gortyn. We
spend the night at the village of Matala, where the cliff
walls are honey-combed with ancient tombs. Then we move on
to Archanes, Vathypetro, and into the city of Heraklion. Our
tour of Crete concludes with a visit to the site of Knossos,
the home of the original Labyrinth, and the museum in
Heraklion. We also take some time to wander the streets of
Heraklion, or pay a visit to the museum of folklore.
The Byzantine site of Mystra
We then board a ship for the return to mainland Greece. On
the mainland, we visit the sites of Mycenae, home of
Agamemnon, Tiryns from which Eurystheus ordered Herakles to
perform his labors, and Corinth where St. Paul preached. We
also visit the Byzantine village of Mystra, the city of
Sparta, and the Palace of Nestor at Pylos. Students have an
opportunity to run a race in the stadium at Olympia. In fact
we visit all four ancient pan-Hellenic sites where athletic
contests were held. We spend a few days at Delphi, during
which time we stay in an archontiko, a Greek home in the
village of Arachova. From there we set out for a hike
through Mt. Parnassos. We also visit Hosios Loukas, a
Byzantine monastery, Thermopylae where Leonidas made his
last stand, and we spend two nights on the slopes of Mt.
Pelion, high above the gulf from which Jason set off with
his Argonauts in search of the Golden Fleece.
Finally we come into Athens where we spend the final four days
of our trip visiting some of the sites in and around the
capital of Modern Greece including Eleusis, where the rites
of Demeter were celebrated for almost 2,000 years. Site
visits to the Akropolis and the Agora are supplemented by
visits to museums to view much of the art we have been
studying. By the time we say good-bye, we hope that you will
have gained a deep appreciation not only for what Ancient
Greece has given us, but for the richness of modern Greece
as well.
Here is what one participant had to say about the trip in
2001: "Have you ever had the thought while traveling, "I
wish I could get away from all this controlled tourist trap
madness and see what this place is really like"? Well, here
is most likely the only time in your life for that wish to
come true. My fiancée and I went to Greece in the Summer
2001 Study Abroad program with Dr. Timothy Winters. She and
I went a week early and spent that time together on the
island of Santorini (ancient Thera). We then traveled to
Hania, Crete where we met the rest of the group. This
experience and the next five weeks in the company of Dr.
Winters (who has lived and worked in Greece, has many close
friends there, speaks the language fluently, and genuinely
loves Greece and its people) will stand as the most moving
and phenomenal experience of my entire life. I learned the
basic language, the history, and made two good friends,
Vasili and Vangelis who are both full of filotimo. My
advice? Beg, borrow, or steal the money and don't look back.
Go to Greece and give my regards to the plane tree." Larry
Dye
Interested? I hope so...my e-mail address is at the bottom
of this page. Just click on that, and I will add your name
to the list. If you'd like, you can print the application
form below, and send it to me. Sign up now for the
experience of a lifetime! Ya sas!
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