Uncovering Ancient Greece | Summer School course

The Glory of Greece course examines the history of the Ancient Greeks from Mycenaean, Minoan and Homeric times until the commencement of the Peloponnesian War in 431BC. We discover the development of a classical, ancient people and culture.

From A$3,200AUD

Highlights

  1. 1. Learn the Homeric legends then and now
  2. 2. How did it all develop between 800BCE to 322BCE?
  3. 3. What made Greece so great and so lasting in our culture and memory especially Athens in the 5th Century BCE?
  4. 4. What lasting appreciable characteristics have defined the Greeks for us then and now?
Uncovering Ancient Greece | Summer School course itinerary

Departure Dates

Departure Date Price

Uncovering Ancient Greece summer school course

Top Five Questions for consideration across the week:

  • Who were the Greeks, where did they come from, where and what has been their influence especially on us?
  • Where do the Homeric legends fit both in myth and in reality?
  • How did it all develop between 800BCE to 322BCE?
  • What made Greece so great and so lasting in our culture and memory especially Athens in the 5th Century BCE?
  • What lasting appreciable characteristics have defined the Greeks for us then and now?

Bertrand Russell, in his 1946 masterpiece The History of Western Philosophy, noted that in all history, nothing is so surprising or so difficult to account for as the sudden as the rise of civilisation in Greece. ….

Other Questions:

  • We are told too that the Greeks invented democracy and theatre, both tragedy and comedy. How did that happen?
  • Can Greek theatre provide realistic historical evidence in our study of the ancient Greeks?

Leader: Dr Philip Dutton

Philip began reading in Ancient Greek history aged seventeen and has continued ever since as both a passion and professional pursuit. He teaches Ancient History: Greece in the History School at University of Wollongong and continues to lead tours to Greece for Odyssey Travel. He has previously presented studies in Ancient Greece for Odyssey in Hobart in previous summers.

The Method and Pre-reading

This course will use a variety of approaches including discussion, spontaneous research, direct presentation, read and report, audio-visual programs, maps, illustrations and images to deal with the range of questions. You will not be constantly lectured and you will be asked to conduct on the spot research, as if in a research team, to find answers.

You would benefit from a reading of the story of Ancient Greece generally by reading a book on the subject of your own choice from your local library, an iBook such as HDF Kitto The Greeks (1955). There are simply too many to name. In addition, see if you can find copies there also of Thucydides: The Peloponnesian War and Herodotus: The Histories. A silent, bilateral aim of this course is to bring you in touch with our first great historians – also Greek.

Summer School classes for mature and senior travellers

Odyssey offers a collection of week-long learning programs offered each January in Hobart, Tasmania. Courses are refreshed for each year’s programs. Classes are limited to 15 people.

Over the last twenty-five years, Odyssey’s small group Summer School Program has given countless travellers an unforgettable educational and travel experience. Each summer, we prepare and offer fun and challenging special interest courses and programs designed to give travellers the options and opportunity to learn about history, religion, Australian culture, and the arts, among many other topics. These courses are designed in such a way that enthusiasts can deepen their knowledge of a particular topic or be initiated into new understandings on a subject.

These programs offered are tailor-made for mature-aged and senior travellers who are eager to explore in-depth a particular topic. Summer school learning programs for mature and senior travellers who are and remain curious about the world. Read more about our philosophy of the Odyssey Summer Schools.

Itinerary

7 days

Day 1: Hobart

Accommodation: Mövenpick Hotel Hobart or similar

After checking in to the Ibis, we come together for a welcome dinner at the Ibis Styles restaurant (TBC). This gives you the chance to meet your program leader, catch up with old friends and meet other people hoping to discover all that they can about Ancient Greece.

Day 2: Hobart

Accommodation: Mövenpick Hotel Hobart or similar

We begin by introducing ourselves, our interests and our aims before proceeding to the first basic questions that identify the Greeks as Greeks even from Homeric times and the legends of Troy.

In the afternoon we plot as best we can how Greece looked even from pre-Homeric times and how it came to disappear as a culture into a Dark Age lasting at least 300 years.

Day 3: Hobart

Accommodation: Mövenpick Hotel Hobart or similar

After reviewing the previous day, we pick up our progress to witness the kind of Greece that emerges from around 800BCE and help explain the Dark Age and simply what and why it came about in the first place. We look again at Homer for some understanding.

Why do we see a different Greece emerge from the Dark Age from 800BCE and in what ways?

Day 4: Hobart

Accommodation: Mövenpick Hotel Hobart or similar

This morning, following review, we consider the development of characteristic and politically contrasting Greek city-states especially over the 100 years from 620BCE to 510BCE. This session will end with some ideas about how Athens managed to become the first model of democracy and what were its strengths and weaknesses by both ancient and modern measures?

Depending upon time and arrangements, will shall consider the emergence of the golden age of Athens in thought, word, deed and art including theatre.

Day 5: Hobart

Accommodation: Mövenpick Hotel Hobart or similar

Enter the Persians! Today we look closely at Athens’ great 5th Century BCE in all aspects of political, cultural and economic achievement despite being tested early by the Persians from 490BCE only to be defeated in a drawn out war with Sparta from 431 to 404BCE.

Why did the great pan Hellenic alliance against the Persians lead ultimately to a breakdown and to war between the major Greek city-states as a result? We read the historians of the period, Herodotus and Thucydides, to help us find answers.

Day 6: Hobart

Accommodation: Mövenpick Hotel Hobart or similar

We take an imaginary tour around the Acropolis, Attica and other ancient Greek centres.

In the evening we conclude our course with a farewell dinner at the Customs House Hotel Restaurant, starting at 6:00pm.

Day 7: Hobart

After breakfast, we say our farewells and the program draws to a close

Includes / Excludes

What’s included in our Tour

  • 6 nights in full en suite accommodation
  • 6 breakfasts and 2 dinners.
  • Lectures and handouts as indicated.
  • Services of a study leader and lecturers.
  • Complimentary wifi.

What’s not included in our Tour

  • Comprehensive travel insurance.
  • Costs of a personal nature.
Level 1 - Introductory to Moderate

Participants must be able to carry their own luggage, climb and descend stairs, moderate walking on uneven surfaces between 3 - 5 kilometers per day. Suitable for most fitness levels

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Make it a private tour

If you have a group of 6 friends or more you can book this tour as a private departure, with all the benefits of our small group tours.
Get in touch to find out more.

Easing your journey

Crossing international borders with restrictions

The list of requirements to travel internationally has changed and will continue to change for several years. Odyssey is here to assist you in managing your way through these requirements:

Pre-departure checklist for travelling across International borders.
Support over email or phone available 24/7 for any questions you have.

For more information see our Crossing international borders with restrictions page.

Book With Confidence

If less than 30 days before your tour starts you are unable to travel as a result of Government travel restrictions, Odyssey Traveller will assist you with a date change, provide you with a credit or process a refund for your booking less any non-recoverable costs.

See Terms and conditions for details.

Peace of Mind Travel

The safety of our travellers, tour leader, local guide and support staff has always been our top priority and with the new guidelines for public health and safety for keeping safe for destinations around the world, we’ve developed our plan to give you peace of mind when travelling with us.

See Peace of Mind Travel for details.

Frequently Asked Questions About Odyssey Traveller Summer School

What is the Odyssey Traveller Summer School program?

Odyssey Traveller’s small group Summer School program has given countless travellers an unforgettable educational and travel experience. Each summer, we offer numerous special interest courses and programs. Courses are designed for senior travellers who are eager to deepen their knowledge of a particular topic or be initiated into new understandings of a particular subject. Often these courses underpin our European small groups tours for seniors that are offered each year. We focus on history, religion, Australian culture, and the arts, among many other topics.

Who are your lecturers?

Summer School lecturers and instructors are current or retired university lecturers or experts with a particular passion for teaching their chosen subject. Many of our lecturers have extensive teaching experience, and are gifted educators with the ability to adapt material based on the group’s needs. Many of them have taught with us for several years. They have fine-tuned their courses to allow for deep engagement on the part of participants.

What should participants expect from a Summer School program?

Our teaching rooms are located in a state-of-the-art conference centre in central Hobart. This location enables us to screen relevant documentaries and films, and to maintain engaging teaching environments. This conference facility is perfectly situated, just a a short walk from our hotel.

Summer School programs are designed to encourage participation. Expect regular discussions and tutorial exercises, as well as various group activities. The majority of our courses also feature memorable educational excursions, which take full advantage of all that Hobart has to offer. Our outings and excursions to sites of cultural significance blend classroom learning with more interactive and hands-on educational experiences.

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