Greece

TRIP ITINERARY:

Day 1:
Departure from the US.

Day 2
Arrival in Athens. Assistance and transfer to your hotel. Cocktail party in the evening - meet your traveling companions and Dr. Yunus Tuncel who will give an introductory presentation.

Day 3
Enjoy a walking tour of the Acropolis during the morning as we discuss Ancient Greek culture and the city states, Homer c.800BCE and the events c 1200BCE that he describes in his epics written down at the beginning of the rise of Greece following a period of "Dark Ages", the establishment of colonies and birth of Western Thought in Asia Minor, Sicily and Athens c.500 BCE. Athens rise to power and its flowering in the 500s and 400s BCE. Language, politics, mythology, theater, literature and the arts will be touched on, also the religious cults of Ancient Greece, specifically those of Dionysus (Bacchus*), and the ceremonies at the Temple of Athena which we will visit. Afternoon free.

Day 4
In the morning, walking tour of the Agora and discussion of the pre-Socratic philosophers, especially the Sophists, then the philosophy of Socrates (b.470) and Plato (b.427) the student of Socrates, cults of Greek gods and goddesses. Visit to temple of Hephaestus, blacksmith, god of metal workers. Afternoon at leisure.

Day 5
Visit to Keramikos, largest cemetery in antiquity, outside the ancient city walls of Athens and dating from the 10th century BCE. Named for the clay used to make funerary urns (keramos) and origin of our word ceramics. Symbols on gravestones will be explained. Plato’s Academy and competitive sports in antiquity presented.

Day 6
Visit to Vravona, (also called Brauron), a hill sanctuary to Artemis (Diana) in the hills not far from the Aegean. Discussion of the gods, poetry and more about Plato, his lasting influence and incorporation of his ideas into Christianity. Enjoy the sunset at Cap Sounion.

Day 7
Leave Athens for the Sanctuary of Eleusis, visited by Athenians along the "Sacred Way". There "Eleusian mysteries" in honor of the earth goddess Demeter (Ceres) and her daughter Persophone were held. Death was the punishment for any initiate who divulged the secret rite or for any non-initiate who penetrated the sanctuary. Discussion of the lasting importance of Aristotle (pupil of Plato). Visit to the theater at Epidaurus where we will learn more about Greek drama and the cult of Dionysus (Bacchus).

Day 8
Visit to breathtaking Delphi, ancient "hub of the universe", traditionally founded by Zeus. We learn about the construction of the temple of Apollo and of his cult there. Further lectures will deal with Hellenic and Roman philosophy from the fourth century B.C.E to 3rd century C.E (A.D.).

Day 9
Another day walking through the ruins of Delphi and discussing the neo-Platonism and neo-Aristotelianism and the enormous influence on Christian doctrine thanks to the "Fathers of the Church" .

Day 10
Transfer to Athens airport for your return flight to the U.S. can be arranged individually in accordance with your flight schedule. An extension to visit other parts of the Greek mainland is also possible.

Note:
All our programs are customized. Prices are on request and depend on the size of the groups, the time of the year the group will travel, the standard of the hotels and all the services you would like to include.

WHO TO CONTACT

Travel arrangements by:
Celestial Voyagers, Inc.
79 Watermill Lane
Great Neck, NY 11021
Email: sales@celestialvoyagers.com
Phone: 800 651 6262 - 516 829 1525
Fax: 516 829 0703

Philosophical topics and Academic consultation by:
Philomobile
Yunus Tuncel, Ph. D.
P.O. Box 575
New York, NY 10011-0575
Phone: 201 985 8232
Email: Yunus@philomobile.com
www.philomobile.com