PERSPECTIVES ON GREEK CIVILIZATION: A JOURNEY TO GREECE
UVA Faculty:
Jacqueline Arthur-Montagne, John L. Nau III Assistant Professor of the History and Principles of Democracy and Assistant Professor of Classics
Classical Greece has long been celebrated as the birthplace of democracy and the origin of much of the artistic and scientific culture we call the Western tradition. From Athens, where the tradition was born, to the island of Chios and the city of Thessaloniki, where it was preserved and nurtured in the monasteries and schools of the Byzantine world, this journey provides an opportunity to reflect on this important legacy and on what it may teach us about the pursuit of truth and about the enterprise of governing ourselves.
Beginning with the Athenian Agora, the commercial and civic center of the ancient city, and the monuments of the Acropolis, we join UVA Professor Jaqueline Arthur-Montagne on a journey exclusively designed for UVA. We will tour UNESCO World Heritage sites, including the Monastery of Nea Moni on Chios and the royal tombs of the Macedonian kings at Vergina. We also visit world-class museums including the Acropolis Museum in Athens and the Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki. Of special interest to UVA travelers, on Chios, we explore the library of a leading figure of the Greek Enlightenment who asked for and received advice from Thomas Jefferson on state-building.
We also take time to appreciate the present, enjoying leisure time to explore on our own and seizing the opportunity to sample the healthy Mediterranean cuisine for which Greece is famous.
Program Highlights
- Discover the splendors of Athens, including the Agora and Acropolis and their museums
- Wander the narrow streets of whitewashed houses and elegant boutiques on Hydra
- Enjoy the delicious and healthful cuisine for which Greece is famous
- On Chios, tour the monastery of Nea Moni and see correspondence between Thomas Jefferson and the Greek humanist, Adamantios Korais
- Explore the spectacular palace and tomb of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great
- Learn the rich history of Thessaloniki from antiquity through the Byzantine Empire
Jackie is a scholar of Greek literature and cultural history and a member of the first faculty cohort in the University of Virginia’s Democracy Initiative. Her research centers on the texts and practices of ancient education, and how institutions of schooling in antiquity shaped the legacy of Classical Greece to the present.
Research Interests
My research focuses on the literature and cultural history of post-classical Greece. I am especially interested in the texts, treatises, and rhetorical exercises at the heart of ancient education, and how the various stages of schooling from grammar to rhetoric shaped the reception and literary criticism of canonical texts. My current book in progress, An Education in Fiction, argues that literary education in postclassical antiquity was designed to equip students with the skills of fiction competency: the ability to navigate truth and lies in ancient life and literature. This project has also enabled me to collaborate with the UVA Democracy Initiative’s efforts to better understand the relationship between democracy, education, cultural memory, and media literacy in the present.
The authors at the heart of my research include both the poets and prose writers at the core of the Greek educational curriculum (Homer, Euripides, and Demosthenes, for instance) but also the Greek educational theorists who strove to contextualize and harness these works for contemporary intellectual and philosophical debates (Plato, Longinus, Plutarch, and Libanius). The scholarship that most excites me are projects that attempt to trace the reception of a particular figure or concept from the Greek literary past through to another time and place in the classical tradition. My 2021 article on “The Boy Viewer in Imperial Ekphrasis,” (CP 116:183-207), for instance, traces the presence of child viewers in ancient ekphrastic writing back to the Platonic notion of the naive gaze. My ongoing research includes a study of The Classical Past in the Ancient Classroom, which explores how declamation exercises on Greek historical themes constructed and contested the legacy of Classical Greece in antiquity and beyond
Day 2 - Saturday, April 26 - Athens, Greece
Arrive in Athens and transfer to the Athens Capital Hotel located steps from Syntagma Square in the city center. Europe’s oldest city, Athens’s ancient monuments are testimonials to a glorious past that gave birth to democracy and much of the artistic and philosophical culture that we recognize as the Western tradition. Today, Athens is an exciting and dynamic city with a vibrant contemporary culture. Enjoy a welcome dinner this evening served at a local restaurant. (D)
Day 3 - Sunday, April 27 - Athens
After a morning lecture at the hotel, tour the Agora, the civic and commercial center of ancient Athens where Socrates could be seen daily questioning the assumptions of his fellow citizens. Visit the well-preserved 5th-century BC Temple of Hephaestus and the carefully restored Stoa of Attalos, which houses the Agora Museum. After lunch at a local restaurant, by special arrangement visit the Greek Parliament and visit with government officials (subject to confirmation). (B, L)
Day 4 - Monday, April 28 - Athens
This morning is devoted to exploration of the Acropolis and its fabled monuments. Occupied since prehistoric times, the rocky plateau of the Acropolis rises dramatically out of the plain and dominates the modern city as it did in ancient times. The incomparable Parthenon and its neighboring temples represent the highest achievement of the art and architecture of the Classical period, and the nearby Acropolis Museum displays a remarkable collection of artifacts and sculptures from the site. The balance of the day is at leisure. (B)
Day 5 - Tuesday, April 29 - Hydra 
Sail to Hydra, one of the most striking Greek islands. The island’s port town is built amphitheatrically between the sea and the surrounding hills, and is lined with magnificent mansions, built in the 17th and 18th centuries. An island with a long maritime tradition, the ships of Hydra played a significant role in the Greek War of Independence (1821 – 1829). The absence of cars contributes to the charm of the island. Return to the hotel late in the afternoon. (B, L, D)
Day 6 - Wednesday, April 30 - Chios
Fly in the morning across the Aegean Sea to the island of Chios. The reputed birthplace of Homer, Chios is known for its attractive medieval villages, beautiful landscapes, and strong age-old customs and traditions. Upon arrival, visit the Monastery of Nea Moni, built in the 11th century in a wooded vale in the center of the island. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Nea Moni is decorated with exquisite mosaics and frescoes. Accommodations for the next two nights are at the Pearl Island Hotel. (B, L, D)
Day 7 - Thursday, May 1 – Mastic Villages
Visit in the morning the Korais Library, which among other important collections, contains the correspondence between Adamantios Korais, an 18th-century Greek humanist, and Thomas Jefferson. In the afternoon, travel to the south of the island where the aromatic mastic gum that was a favorite at Byzantine and Ottoman courts was produced. Explore the medieval villages of Armolia, which is known for its distinctive pottery, and Pyrgi, where houses are decorated in intricate grey and white geometric patterns. (B, L)
Day 8 - Friday, May 2 - Thessaloniki
Fly to Thessaloniki, the biblical Thessalonica where St. Paul preached in AD 49-50, the country’s second largest city, a dynamic commercial and cultural center that is built at the head of a spacious bay and against the slopes of a mountain. Thessaloniki is also known as Greece’s gastronomic capital. Our accommodations for the next three nights are at the Hotel Makedonia Palace. (B, L, D)
Day 9 - Saturday, May 3 - Thessaloniki
Named after the half-sister of Alexander the Great, the city is famed for its outstanding late Classical and early Christian monuments. From the 14th century until 1943, it was an important center of Jewish culture and learning. In the morning, tour the city, visiting several of its important monuments, including the Arch of Galerius, the Rotunda and the 5th-century Church of Aghios Dimitrios. After lunch, visit the splendid Museum of Byzantine Culture, and spend the rest of the day at leisure. (B, L)
Sunday, May 4 - Vergina
Drive in the morning to Vergina, the ancient Aigai, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the captial and the royal burial place of the Macedonian kings. Visit the recently opened restored palace of Philip II, the father of Alexander the Great, and the monumental royal tombs that yielded incredible treasure which we will view in the on-site museum. Return to Thessaloniki after lunch. Enjoy a Farewell Dinner this evening. (B, L, D)
Day 10 - Monday, May 5 - Thessaloniki/USA
Transfer to the airport for the return flight home. (B)
Accommodations at Deluxe Hotels:
Four nights at the Athens Capital Hotel (or similar) in Athens;
Two nights at the Pearl Island Hotel (or similar) in Chios;
Three nights at the Hotel Makedonia Palace (or similar) in Thessaloniki.
Buffet breakfast each morning at the hotels.
Six lunches and four dinners.
Soft drinks, wine or beer served with each lunch and dinner.
Program Fees
$6,990 per person, double occupancy, land only.
A limited number of single rooms are available for a supplement of $1,690 to the per person, double occupancy rates.
Early registration is encouraged as space is very limited.
Price Includes:
● Regularly-scheduled flights between Athens and Chios, and Chios and Thessaloniki
● Comprehensive program of tours, excursions, and other activities as described in the itinerary, with a professional English-speaking guide
● Group airport/hotel/pier transfers overseas at designated times on the indicated arrival and return dates, and handling of luggage
● Educational program of lectures and discussions with Professor Jacqueline Arthur-Montagne
● An experienced Thalassa Journeys Trip Director
● All local taxes and service charges
● Gratuities to porters, drivers, and guides
● Complete pre-departure material
Price Does Not Include
International airfare, travel insurance, items and expenses of a personal nature, and any items not mentioned in the Itinerary and Program Inclusions.
Ready to register? The best way to do this is by phone so that we can ensure we are meeting all of your needs. Please call us at 866-765-2646. Or, e-mail cavaliertravels@virginia.edu with your contact information and the best time to reach you.
A deposit of $1,000 per person is required to reserve your spot. Final invoicing will be done approximately four months prior to departure. Final payment is due 90 days prior to departure.
Deposits can be made via all major credit cards or check made out to Thalassa Journeys
Early registration is encouraged as space is very limited.
PAYMENT SCHEDULE: A deposit of $1,000 per person is required to reserve your space on the tour. Final payment is due 90 days prior to departure. Payment can be made by personal check or charged to a credit card.
CANCELLATIONS & REFUNDS: All cancellations are subject to a $300 per person administrative fee. Cancellations received 61-90 days prior to departure will be assessed a penalty equal to 50% of the total program cost per person. Cancellations received within 60 days of departure are subject to 100% cancellation penalties. Requests for cancellations must be made in writing. No refunds will be made for any part of this program in which you choose not to participate.
INSURANCE: We strongly recommend the purchase of trip cancellation insurance, which is available for coverage of expenses in conjunction with cancellation due to illness or accident. Baggage insurance is also recommended. In the event that you must cancel your participation in a travel program, trip cancellation insurance may be the only source of reimbursement. ITINERARY: The itinerary, accommodations and arrangements are subject to change at the discretion of Thalassa Journeys.
RESPONSIBILITY: Please read carefully the following terms and conditions, which constitute the sole, legally enforceable agreements between the traveler and Thalassa Journeys. Thalassa Journeys acts solely as agents for the traveler with respect to all transportation, hotel and other tour arrangements. In that capacity, we exercise all reasonable care possible to ensure the traveler’s safety and satisfaction, but, we neither assume nor bear any responsibility or liability for any injury, death, damage, loss, accident, delay or irregularity arising in connection with the services of any ship, airplane, train, automobile, motor coach, carriage or other conveyance, or the actions of any third-party, involved in carrying the traveler or in affecting these tours. We are not responsible for damages, additional expenses, or any other losses due to cancellation, delay or other changes in air or other services, sickness, weather, strike, war, civil disturbances, acts or threats of terrorism, travel warnings or bans, termination or suspension of war risks or other carrier insurance, quarantine, acts of God or other causes beyond our control. All such losses must be borne by the traveler, and tour rates provide for arrangements only for the time stated. In the event of cancellation, delay or rescheduling mandated by any of the aforesaid causes beyond our control, the traveler shall have the option of accepting in lieu of the original tour such rescheduled tour or other substituted tour(s) as may be offered by us, or else, receiving a refund of as much of such advance tour expenditures as we are able to recover on the traveler’s behalf from carriers, third-party tour vendors, etc., but, we shall not have any obligation or liability to the traveler beyond the foregoing. We reserve the right to make alterations to the tour’s itinerary and to substitute hotels, transportation methods, or lecturers if this is required. We reserve the right to cancel, delay, or reschedule any tour prior to departure, and, so long as this is not due to any of the aforesaid causes beyond our control, the traveler shall be entitled to a full refund of all monies paid to that point if he/she so desires. No refund shall be made for any unused portion of any tour. By forwarding their deposit(s), the traveler certifies that he/she and/or their dependents, minors or others covered thereby do not have any mental, physical or other condition of disability that could create a hazard for them or other travelers. We reserve the right to decline to accept or to decline to retain any person as a member of any tour should such person’s health, condition or actions adversely affect or threaten the welfare or safety of other travelers or impede the tour. Baggage or valuables brought on the tour shall be transported, handled or stored at the traveler’s risk entirely, and, we shall bear no liability or responsibility for any damage or other loss thereto. Resolution of any disputes arising hereunder shall be affected exclusively in the state or federal courts presiding in Florida, pursuant to applicable Florida law.
RATES: Tour costs are based upon current airfares, tariffs, and currency values. While we do everything possible to maintain the listed prices, they are subject to change.