The Body and Soul in Ancient Greece

Although the boundary between sacred and secular space was less rigid in ancient Greece, rituals were practiced in areas set aside specifically for encountering the divine. Each religious or ritual act impacted everyone from military generals to craftsmen to slaves. To understand the breadth and depth of religion on daily Greek life, this course will take a diachronic and hands-on approach. From the Bronze Age to the early Byzantine Period, this travel seminar will consider how people defined religion; who participated and how; the different ways they connected to ritual spaces; and how they made and made use of ritual objects. We will travel to Athens and visit sites like the Acropolis and local museums to explore the relationship between civic and religious life; in the last portion of the travel seminar we will visit a variety of religious sanctuaries, from the home of the Mysteries at Eleusis to the oracle at Delphi. We will discuss in detail the archaeological and art historical composition of the sites and their historical contexts, as well as examine the particular types of religious rituals associated with each sanctuary. In doing so we will gain a better understanding the central role that religion and ritual played in Greek society.

By "body and soul", we mean the way that the Greeks imagined and imaged the body, how they cared for themselves in sickness and health, and what they believed happened after death. Therefore, the on-campus course and travel seminar both expand and deepen students' understanding of the place of the human body in ancient Greece in a broader context. The best way to study the monument and its sculpture is to do so in situ.  By visiting the temples, sanctuaries, athletic venues, oracular shrines, and cemeteries will help students understand the place, and limits, of existence in the ancient Greek mind. 

The semester-long study of Greek sanctuaries, religion and ritual culminate in an intensive travel-seminar program in Greece. During the 10 days, the group will visit the archaeological sites and museums which illuminate the work done in the classroom. The presentations practiced on campus will be delivered on-site as a final demonstration of students' knowledge of the material and its cultural and social context. 

LEARNING GOALS

Students in this travel seminar will develop the skills to

• read critically and analyze closely literary texts and modern scholarship;
• identify and assess selected artifacts and monuments within their cultural contexts related to the rituals conducted by Greeks at their sanctuaries;
• read and analyze historical documents within their social contexts and evaluate the role of sanctuaries in ancient Greece;
• conduct research by traditional and digital methods;
• present orally and in written form an argument supported by primary and secondary sources;
• develop multi- and cross-cultural perspectives and apply them to gender, ethnic, and social issues; and,
• assess and present scholarship of a theoretical nature and apply theory to both primary and secondary sources.

Sample Itinerary*

Day 1: Depart New York City airport for Athens, Greece

Day 2: Arrive Athens; welcome dinner and walk in Plaka

Day 3: Acropolis and Acropolis Museum in Athens

Day 4: Agora and Kerameikos in Athens

Day 5: National Museum in Athens

Day 6: Corinth and Mycenae, stay in Nafplion

Day 7: Epidauros, stay in Nafplion

 

Day 8: Delphi Museum, stay in Delfi

Day 9: Delphi site, stay in Delfi

Day 10: Hosios Loukas and Eleusis, stay in Athens

Day 11: Final day in Athens

Day 12: Depart Athens for New York City airport

*Subject to change

Important Information

Dates: January 8-19, 2024

Corequisite: Students will enroll in CC 265 (The Body and Soul in Ancient Greece) for the fall 2023 semester. 

Credits: 3 credits for CC 265 and 1 credit for TX200A. 

Program Fee: The anticipated fee is $4,800 - 5,100 (depending on enrollment). The program fee includes Skidmore tuition; round-trip airfare between New York area airport and Athens, Greece; ground transportation for program excursions; on-site accommodations in shared rooms; some meals; international medical insurance; entrance fees; excursions and activities, and Skidmore faculty. Financial aid is available for eligible students. If students do not hold a US passport, there might be visa costs associated with their participation. Please check with OCSE if you have questions regarding visas. 

Meals and Accommodation: Students will stay in double rooms in local hotels. Some group meals are included and students will receive a meal stipend for additional meals.

Flights: Roundtrip airfare from a New York City area airport to Athens, Greece is including the program fee. Students are required to make their own way to/from New York City. 

Application Process: The deadline for applications is March 15, 2023 Students are required to apply for Travel Seminars through the MyOCSE portal.  Applications will be reviewed and students will be notified of acceptances before fall 2023 course registration. Students will then be required to register for CC 265 for the fall 2023 semester.

QUESTIONS?

Stop by the OCSE office (Starbuck 202) or contact Janelle Sadarananda or Amy Oh directly.