In Search of Homer

Exploring Greece of the
Iliad and the Odyssey

DISTINGUISHED GUEST LECTURER

Emily Wilson is a Professor in the Department of Classical Studies and holds the College for Women Class of 1963 Chair in the Humanities at the University of Pennsylvania. Her books include The Death of Socrates: Hero, Villain, Chatterbox, Saint (2007) and The Greatest Empire: A Life of Seneca (2014). Her verse translations include Six Tragedies of Seneca, four translations of plays by Euripides in the Modern Library The Greek Plays, and Oedipus Tyrannos. She is the Classics editor of the revised Norton Anthology of World Literature. Her 2017 translation of the Odyssey, in iambic pentameter, met with wide acclaim, as did her new translation of the Iliad, published in fall 2023. She is now working on translations of select dialogues of Plato and a fictionalized retelling of the ancient myths associated with the Trojan War. She was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2019 and won a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2020.

Methoni Castle.

Assos, Cephalonia

Mistra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The vaulted entrance to Olympia’s stadium, where the ancient games were held. The stadium accommodated about 45,000 spectators.

ITINERARY

Thursday, June 5, 2025
DEPART THE USA
Depart the United States for Athens, Greece.

Friday, June 6
ATHENS, Greece
Arrive in Athens and transfer to the Sofitel Athens Airport Hotel. In the evening, enjoy a welcome dinner. (D)

Saturday, June 7
ATHENS/MYCENAE/NAFPLION
Leave Athens in the morning for the Peloponnese, one of the most important archaeological and historical regions of Greece. After driving over the narrow Corinth Canal, visit Mycenae, the stronghold of Agamemnon, who Homer says led the Greeks against Troy. Described by Homer as “rich in gold,” “well-built,” and “broad streeted,” Mycenae was famed for its wealth and power. Set on a plateau overlooking the plain, Mycenae’s formidable citadel is entered through the celebrated Lion Gate. Explore the site and visit the museum. Outside the citadel, visit a remarkable tholos or beehive tomb. The next two nights will be spent in Nafplion at the Hotel Amphitryon. Situated at the head of a spacious bay, Nafplion is one of the country’s most attractive old towns. (B,L)

Sunday, June 8
NAFPLION/TIRYNS/EPIDAURUS/NAFPLION
Spend the morning at leisure to explore Nafplion. In the afternoon, continue to Tiryns, the reputed birthplace of Herakles (Hercules), which Homer described as “wall-girt,” a very apt description for its surviving fortress-palace, still enclosed by its massive walls. Then visit Epidaurus, the shrine dedicated to Asclepius, the god of healing, known for its magnificent 4th-century BC theater, famed for remarkable acoustics and harmonious proportions. Return to the hotel in the late afternoon. (B,D)

Monday, June 9
NAFPLION/SPARTA/MISTRA/PYLOS
In the morning, depart from Nafplion. Drive through the heartland of the Peloponnese to Sparta. In the Iliad, Menelaus, the king of Sparta, and his brother Agamemnon led the Greeks to Troy to reclaim Menelaus’ beautiful Helen after she eloped with the Trojan prince Paris. This expedition, and the subsequent ten-year Trojan War, was the basis of Homer’s Iliad, which describes the siege of Troy, and the Odyssey, the story of Odysseus’ ten-year journey home. Visit the Archaeological Museum, which displays artifacts from prehistoric times to the Roman era. Built on a hill that commands superlative views of the plain of Sparta, Mistra was one of the last flourishing centers of the Byzantine Empire. Today a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is an evocative medieval walled town. Continue to Pylos, beautifully sited by the sea, where we will spend the next two nights at the Hotel Zoe Seaside Resort. (B,L,D)

Tuesday, June 10
PYLOS/PALACE OF NESTOR/METHONI/PYLOS
Situated on the shores of a huge bay and built between the sea and pine-covered hills that are crowned by a castle, Pylos is picturesque and historically important. Homer refers to it as “sandy Pylos.” Leave in the morning for the Palace of Nestor, the elderly warrior king who figures prominently in the Iliad and participated in the expedition to Troy with a large contingent. Nestor was the ruler of Pylos, one of the most powerful and prosperous cities of the Bronze Age Mycenaean period. Homer describes in the Odyssey the visit here of Telemachus, Odysseus’ son, who came to seek from Nestor news of his father. Explore the remains of the palace (1300–1200 BC). In the afternoon, visit Methoni, described by Homer as “rich in vines.” Methoni is dominated by a vast castle built by the Venetians in the 15th century. (B)

Wednesday, June 11
PYLOS/OLYMPIA
Drive along the scenic west coast of the Peloponnese to Olympia. Olympia’s beautiful setting in a river valley covered with evergreen trees, coupled with its importance throughout antiquity, makes it one of the most significant archaeological sites in Greece. A sacred precinct dedicated to Zeus, it was at Olympia that the Panhellenic games were held every four years from 776 BC to AD 393, giving rise to the modern Olympics. Tour the site, seeing the temples, other buildings, and the stadium where the games were held. Also visit the Archaeological Museum, which exhibits some of the best Classical and Roman sculptures that have survived from these periods. Overnight at the Hotel Europa. (B,L,D)

Thursday, June 12
OLYMPIA/KYLLINI/CEPHALONIA, Ionian Islands
Drive to the fishing port of Kyllini to board the ferry boat and sail across the Ionian Sea to Cephalonia (1 hr, 25 min). The largest of the Ionian islands, Cephalonia is known for its magnificent scenery and jagged coastline that conceals lovely coves. Some scholars believe Cephalonia is the location of Homer’s Ithaca, the home of Odysseus. Tradition, however, identifies the island of Ithaca as the great hero’s home. Ithaca is separated from Cephalonia by a narrow channel. Accommodations for the next three nights are at Hotel Emelisse Nature Resort, a lovely hotel located just above a bay in the northern part of the island and near the quaint town of Fiskardo. (B,L)

Friday, June 13
CEPHALONIA/ITHACA/CEPHALONIA
Cross the channel by boat to Ithaca, the island that has always been identified as Odysseus’ homeland. The island is of great interest, not only for the sites associated with Homer’s epic hero but also for its striking rugged scenery and charming harbor villages. Vathy, its main town, is set at the head of an impressive, sheltered bay. Spend the day exploring the island and visiting sites associated with Odysseus and the Odyssey, including the Fountain of Arethousa, the Cave of Eumaeus, the Cave of the Nymphs, and the Mycenaean remains at Alalkomenes. Recent excavations at the northern part of the island, known as the School of Homer, have led Greek archaeologists to conclude that the site was Odysseus’ palace. A small museum nearby houses finds from the excavation. Lunch will be served at a taverna. Return to Cephalonia in the late afternoon. (B,L)

Saturday, June 14
CEPHALONIA
A tour of Cephalonia will reveal its magnificent landscape and other attractions. The atmospheric village of Assos clings to a small isthmus backed by a hill crowned by a fort. In Argostoli, the island’s animated capital, visit the Korgialenio History and Folklore Museum, which houses an excellent collection of artifacts. Cephalonia is famed for its vintages derived from the indigenous robola grape. In the beautiful Omalos Valley, visit the Robola Cooperative and taste its excellent wines. Continue to the impressive Melissani Cave, partly submerged in a sea of deep blue, and the attractive port town of Sami, which occupies the site of the ancient city that was the island’s capital in Homeric times. (B,L,D)

Sunday, June 15
CEPHALONIA/ATHENS
Take a flight from Cephalonia to Athens. Overnight stay at the Sofitel Athens Airport Hotel. (B)

Monday, June 16
ATHENS/USA
Walk across the street to the departure hall for the return flight home. (B)