Overview
Athens is the vibrant and cosmopolitan capital of modern Greece, but it is also a city with a long past – a past which remains visible today not only in its many museums and archaeological sites, but also in its layout and architecture. This course makes use of these material remnants of the city's past to provide students with a hands-on introduction to the history of Athens and the culture of its people, ancient and contemporary. It begins with the emergence of Athens as an independent city-state in a world of ancient Greek city-states; it touches on the city's later role as both an imperial power and as a state subjugated by larger empires; and it concludes by considering the significance of Athens to the modern Greek nation-state.
All University of Rochester students are welcome to apply; no previous knowledge of Greek history or language is required.
We offer this program on a biennial schedule as a two-credit course during spring break. The next session will take place over spring break, 2024.
Upcoming Events and Application Procedure
We plan to host an information session for the 2024 trip during the spring semester of 2023.
If you would like to receive email notifying you of the time and date for the information session, please click here to email us.
Program Structure and Costs
We have designed the program to take advantage of the many museums and archaeological sites on offer in Athens. On a typical day, we conduct one class session in a local museum or archaeological park in the morning, and a second in the early afternoon. The program also typically features one day trip to sites elsewhere in Attica.
During the program, we stay in apartments in a neighborhood known as Pangrati. The neighborhood is home to many interesting cafes and restaurants, and is also within easy walking distance of the city center.
Students who wish to join us on the program should budget for the following expenses:
(1) Airfare to Athens.
(2) The program fee, which will cover accommodations, lunch on weekdays, and a welcome dinner. The fee will be contingent on both enrollment and on the prices quoted to us by our partner institution in Athens; in 2022, it was $1200 per student.
(3) Breakfasts, dinners, and other miscellaneous expenses.
