Program Dates:
May 11– May 30, 2008

Credits:
Art history 311 or 492/892

Cost:
Estimated price is $3,900 plus tuition & fees
(approx is $550 for 3 credits, resident, undergraduate)

Payment Schedule:
January 31 – $750 deposit
March 1 – Balance of costs

Application Deadlines:
January 31 – reservation deadline with deposit.

Download as a
PDF file:
Greek Odyssey

Contact:

International Affairs
420 University Terrace
Lincoln, NE 68588-0682
(402) 472-5358
E-mail: iaffairs@unl.edu

Professor Michael Hoff
308 Woods UNL
(402) 472-5342
mhoff1@unl.edu

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is pleased to offer a three-week study tour of Greece from May 11-30, 2008. Greek Odyssey, led by scholars specializing in Greek Archaeology and Classics, promises to be an in-depth introduction to the monuments and culture of Greece from the Age of the Pharaohs through the Romans. "Greek Odyssey" will also visit several of the most important sites of the Byzantine period in Greece in order to gain an awareness of their religious heritage. Late spring is the most favorable time of the year to visit the Mediterranean. The days are pleasant and the evenings cool for enjoyable walks in villages, towns, and on sandy beaches. Not every moment will be reserved for archaeology. This program entails walking and climbing and may be somewhat rigorous.Those who enjoy swimming in clear, blue water will find ample opportunities during the tour, and those whose tastes are oriented more towards shopping will discover many fine boutiques and stores that cater to almost every wish.

Greece is a wonderful country, and nowhere else in Europe will you find the same warm hospitality offered by the Greeks. Come join us in May of 2008.

Sunday, May 11
Depart Lincoln or Omaha

Monday, May 12
Arrive Athens early; hotel check-in; afternoon free; We will gather for an evening stroll up Lykabettos for a view of the city. Then we will gather together for a welcome dinner in the Plaka, Athens' oldest and most picturesque district, to be introduced to the delights of Athenian cuisine.

Tuesday, May 13
We begin our day in the Agora and the Kerameikos for an introduction to Athenian art and architecture and the early city history, and explore the civic heart of the ancient city. In the evening we board a ferry for an overnight trip to the island of Crete.

Wednesday, May 14
Crete - Here we will explore the sites and palaces of the great Bronze Age civilization of the Minoans. First we will visit Knossos, the palace of mythological King Minos, and the museum of Heraklion with its collection of Minoan art. Later, you can enjoy swimming at Kalo Chorio. In the late afternoon we will travel to the picturesque town of Agios Nikolaos.

Thursday, May 15
We will bus to the Messara Plain and visit the Dicteion Cave where according to myth, the god Zeus was born. We then travel to Phaistos, another major Minoan palace site. Afterwards, it's on to the Venetian seaside town of Chania.

Friday, May 16
The morning is free for personal exploration. After an afternoon visit to the British Cemetery we will take an evening flight to Athens.

Saturday, May 17
Today we return to the Agora for further exploration, followed by a visit after lunch to the National Archaeological Museum.

Sunday, May 18
We depart Athens for the journey to the Peloponnesos. First, we will stop at the monastery of Daphni to view some of the finest preserved mosaics from the Byzantine era. Next, we will explore the nearby site of Eleusis where the secret Mysteries sacred to the goddess Demeter occurred. After crossing the Corinth canal we will visit the ancient city of Corinth and then the sanctuary of Zeus at Nemea. Our base in the Argolid will be the seaside resort of Nauplion, modern Greece's first capital.

Monday, May 19
Argolid - We will first visit the citadel of Mycenae, the major site of the Mycenaean civilization. Later we travel to the other great Mycenaean citadel, Tiryns, and then on to the Sanctuary of Asklepios at Epidauros and its famous reconstructed theater. We return to Nauplion for the evening.

Tuesday, May 20
Peloponnese - Departing from Nauplion we will cross the mountains of Arcadia, visit the Byzantine city of Mistra near Sparta and arrive at the sandy shores of Mycenaean Pylos. A late afternoon swimming expedition may be arranged.

Wednesday, May 21
Pylos site and museum. From there we travel to Olympia to visit the Sanctuary of Zeus and the home of the ancient Olympic Games.

Thursday, May 22
Olympia site and museum. After leaving Olympia we cross the Gulf of Corinth to Delphi, arriving in the early evening.

Friday, May 23
Delphi - the magnificent site of the sanctuary of Apollo. Here, on the slopes of Mt. Parnassos, was located Greece’s most renowned oracular shrine.

Saturday, May 24
On the return trip to Athens, we will stop at the Byzantine monastery of Osios Leukas and the Mt. Pendele quarries.

Sunday, May 25
Today we visit two of the more interesting museums in Athens, the Benaki and Goulandris Museums In the evening we will experience Greece's most famous dancing company, The Dora Stratou Dancers.

Monday, May 26
Athens - Today's itinerary focuses on the center of Athenian art and religion, the Akropolis. Here we will explore the great monuments of the Parthenon, Erechtheion, Propylaia, and the Temple of Athena Nike. In addition we will visit the Theater of Dionysos and the Temple of Zeus Olympios.

Tuesday, May 27
On this day trip to northern Attica we visit the site of Marathon. We then visit and swim at nearby Rhamnous.

Wednesday, May 28
Aigina - (optional) A quick ferry trip from Athens' harbor of Piraeus takes us to the island of Aigina and the site of the 6th century B.C. Temple of Aphaia. There will be ample time for swimming and shopping in Aigina village.

Thursday, May 29
Final Exam in the morning. After a free afternoon, we will spend our last evening in Greece in a Plaka taverna for our farewell dinner.

Friday, May 30
Return to U.S.A.

Professor Michael Hoff teaches Classical Art and Archaeology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he is an Associate Professor in the Department of Art & Art History. Prof. Hoff has spent considerable time in Greece over the last 20 years doing archaeological research, particularly on the Roman period of Athens. Prof. Hoff is currently involved in a survey of Greek and Roman sites in southern Turkey.

There will be a graduate student assisting the course who is a current resident in Athens, doing research at the American School of Classical Studies.

Art History 311 or 492/892: Prerequisite is permission of the instructor. Participate in orientation meetings and field trips to archaeological sites and museums. Students will prepare in advance a short report to be given on site. Reports will be assigned by the instructor. There will be a short final exam covering sites visited and material culture. Graduate credit will be granted to those who in addition complete a short research paper after their return on a topic related to the course.