Study Tour to Greece in June 2016

The Honors College at St. Mary’s College of Maryland is offering a 26-day study tour to Greece from June 2 to 27, 2016. This will be Professor Michael Taber’s ninth tour and this time there will be a 6 night side trip to the island of Chios (NOT a major refugee or migrant crossing).

Below are some highlights that you could expect if you travel with St. Mary’s to Greece.

  • Visit all 4 Pan-Hellenic game sites (including Olympia)
  • Get to run, in a white tunic, in the 6th Revival of the Ancient Games at Nemea, with opening ceremonies the night before (torch-lit procession from the Temple of Zeus to the stadium) and the closing ceremonies (the reverse procession)
  • Authentic, home-cooked Greek cuisine
  • Walk the streets walked by our ancient authors
  • Visit 6 ancient theaters
  • See the cell in which Socrates drank the hemlock
  • See the island of Chios as few tourists ever get to see it
  • Visit 2 sites visited by St. Paul
  • Folk-dancing lessons
  • Visit 2 monasteries
  • Visit a winery
  • Make new friends among ourselves and with shopkeepers, cafe owners, etc. (there is usually an interesting mix of students from different U.S. schools, including schools in Alaska, California, Connecticut, Idaho, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee)

This year’s theme, “Contest: Athletes, Actors, and Sages in Antiquity,” will cover the ways in which the Greece notion of agon (“competition”) manifested itself in ancient athletics, in theatrical competitions for prices and even in sages vying to present the most persuasive case on a given matter. This is an upper-division course that assumes no particular prior coursework – either in classics, in the history of sport, or the like. But it is a course, not just a fun trip, which can be taken as HIST 393, PHIL 380, or as RELG 380. 

Applications are processed on a rolling basis, but will not be considered after February 1, 2016. The first payment of $1700 is due on February 4, 2016. Apply soon because some years this has filled up by early January!

For cost, application, requirements, packing tips, and itinerary, please visit their website. You can also get in touch with Professor Taber via email at or phone at 240-895-4900.

Testimonials from Students:

“The Greece Study Tour was by far one of the best experiences in my college career. We visited a variety of historical sites and museums, which are breathtaking when you get to see them in real life. We were led by knowledgeable professors who helped provide a very educational and safe tour if Greece. I would recommend this trip to everyone who asked, and if I had the chance I would go again without a second thought!”

– Jessica Morrow, 2010, University of Idaho

“One of my favorite things about the Greece Study Tour is that Greece is kind of the original site of East meeting West. You get to visit the origins of a lot of Western culture and philosophy whole still seeing a great deal of Eastern influence in the art and history of the different locations. From an American perspective, it’s also really interesting to go from a country that has few historical sites that are directly related to Western Civilization and are older than a few hunderd years to a country that is full of literally ancient ruins that are connected to the origins of Western Civilization.”

– Steve Barnold, 2012, St, Mary’s College of MD

“I loved having the opportunity to see so many different sides of the country, rather than staying in just one city. Each place we traveled was a unique experience. So while we still got to see all of the major points of interest, I also felt as though I got to know Greece as a nation, above and beyond what a typical study abroad might provide.”

– Kelly Piscopo, 2008, Point Park University

 

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