Ancient Greece: Odyssey of Discovery

Summer 2010: May 10 to June 10 -- class meets on the JMU Campus May 10 to May 14; on-site program dates in Greece: May 16 to June 10

Program Location

The program will lead students through Greece and Turkey by exploration of the following areas:

Turkey:  Kusadasi, Ephesus, Miletus
Greece:  Samos (Vathy, Pythagoreio), Paros (Paroikia), Delos, Santorini, Athens, Delphi, Mycenae, Epidaurus, Corinth

Academic Program

The course will take place immediately after the Spring Semester ends.  We’ll spend a few days at JMU introducing you to some basic information about the course and modern Greece, and then we’ll meet up again overseas, on the Aegean island of Samos.  After exploring some of the ancient Greek settlements there and in southwest Turkey, we’ll move to the centrally located island of Paros.  If our schedule permits, we’ll do some snorkeling with an underwater archaeologist and visit such important islands as Delos—-one of the main religious centers of the ancient world—-and the volcanic island of Santorini.

After our time in the islands, we’ll close out the course on the Greek mainland.  Much of our time will be spent in Athens.  We’ll visit the Acropolis, of course, but we’ll also visit world-class museums, and walk the same streets that Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle did over 2,000 years ago.  In addition, we’ll visit other mainland sites such as Mycenae (the home of Agamemnon, commander of Greek forces during the Trojan War), the religious center of Delphi, and possibly other such cities as Epidaurus.  Our program will come to a close after 3-4 weeks.

We invite you to join us in an exploration of the world of the Ancient Greeks.  Our program will consist of two main parts:  half will be devoted to Greek philosophy, history, and literature, and half will introduce you to Greek mathematics.  No background in any of these fields is necessary.  All that’s required is your own intellectual curiosity about the Ancient World, as well as a desire to visit many of sites we’ll be discussing. 

In addition to the time spent on the courses-—classroom lectures and discussions, as well as group activities and site visits-—we’ve also structured the program to allow you the freedom to explore on your own during our non-class periods.  During these times, opportunities will abound for interacting with the locals, hiking, or simply relaxing on the beach.  As you’ll find, Greece has plenty to offer.

Now for a bit more on the academic side of the program.  Each student will receive credit for two 3-credit courses:  PHIL 240 (Greek Philosophy in Context), and Math 103 (The Mathematics of Euclid).  It may be possible to have one or both classes count towards requirements in other majors or programs (Classics or General Education, for instance), but you’ll need to clear that with us first.

Professor Bolyard will cover the philosophy, history, and literature of the Ancient world, and we’ll focus on some of the enduring questions of philosophy:  What is real, and what is illusion?  What is the proper goal of a good life?  What is love really all about?  In addition, we’ll read Homer, plays by Aristophanes and Sophocles, and excerpts from some of the earliest historians, Herodotus and Thucydides.    

Professor Thelwell will help you learn math as the Greeks did - on the shores of the Mediterranean, involved in open discussion and discourse. Modern mathematics was born in Greece. The writing of Euclid, cataloguing the tremendous contributions of the Pythagorean school, will serve as the foundation for the course. The treatment is visual - and the topics will include geometry, algebra, and basic number theory.  Bring a compass and ruler, and learn as you explore the country and its culture!

Instructional methods include lectures, guided tours, journal assignments and/or papers, and exams. Students will enroll in both classes listed below for a total of 6 credit hours. Students should be in relatively good physical shape, since we will be visiting many ancient sites that require walking on uneven ground up steep hills.  Students should also be able to swim.

Tentative course offerings:
PHIL 240: Greek Philosophy in Context, 3 credits
MATH 103: The Nature of Mathematics--The Mathematics of Euclid, 3 credits

It may be possible to have one or both classes count towards requirements in other majors or programs (Classics or GENED, for instance), but you’ll need to clear that with us first.

Tentative itinerary:

Accommodations

Students will reside in hotels. All breakfasts and some dinners will be provided.  Food allowance money will be distributed periodically to students for the remaining meals.

Program Costs

For the current projected costs for this program, please click on the following link to the Fees for JMU Study Abroad Programs page.

Application

For more detailed instructions and to download the application, please click on the following link to the Applications and Forms section for JMU Short-Term Programs.

In addition to the Short-term Application, interested students should include a personal statement (not to exceed one typed, single-spaced page) explaining why he or she would like to participate in our program.

Frequently Asked Questions

See this link for answers to frequently asked questions.

For More Information

For additional information about the Ancient Greece program, please contact the program directors:

Dr. Charles Bolyard
Associate Professor/Associate Department Head
Department of Philosophy & Religion
Tel.: 540-568-2626
E-mail: bolyarcr@jmu.edu

Dr. Roger Thelwell
Assistant Professor of Mathematics
Department of Mathematics and Statistics
Tel.: 540-568-5103
E-mail: thelwerj@jmu.edu