LITERATURE & ARCHITECTURE
Calliope, ‘the beautiful voiced’ in ancient Greek, was the originally the Muse of Epic Poetry in ancient times, inspiring Homer and Virgil to compose the poems Iliad, Odyssey and Aeneid about the travels, adventures and struggles of the heroes Achilles, Odysseus and Aeneas.
TARAS' TIPS:
“Visit the Troy of Homer's Illiad before heading to the magic of Ithaca, the land of the Cyclopes, Scylla and Charybdis before taking up the trail of Julius Caesar from Rome through to France and Great Britain.”
Did the Trojan war really happen? Investigate yourself by travelling to the archaeological site of Troy in modern Turkey, where you can walk along the fields where the battles described by Homer took place, including the fateful encounter between Hector and Achilles.
The journey will then take you to Greece and the archaeological site of Mycenae, centre of the Bronze Age Greek Empire that caused the destruction of Troy.
GREECE
The Lion Gate, Mycanae
Allow the ancient Epic Tradition take you from across the Aegean sea to mainland Greece and then on to Italy. Your journey begins in Troy and
ends in Rome!
SAMPLE ITINERARY
DESTINATION ROMA!
STOP ONE
In the footsteps of Homer & Virgil
Uncover the places that inspired Homer's The Iliad and The Odyssey, from the Aegean to mainland Greece and Italy. Beginning in Troy you’ll then venture to Istanbul, centre of the Ottoman empire.
STOP THREE
Experience Literature in Naples
Travel to the place where Aeneas, the surviving Trojan hero, visited the underworld, where his father explained his mission: to lay the original foundations of what would one day become Rome, near the existing settlement of Lavinium.
STOP TWO
Discover Athens
& Troy
Take in the splendours of Mycenae, Tiryns and Argos before travelling to Athens and to the very spot where the Greek commanders launched their expedition against Troy.
STOP FOUR
On to the magical
Roma!
End your Odyssey atop of the beautiful Palatine Hill, exploring the exact spot where Aeneas' descendants, Romulus and Remus, would go on to found the great city of Rome.
“I loved the summer programme and am so so grateful to have been a part of it. It was intense, but in the best way—staying with host families, encountering new experiences daily—we were always on the go.”
