GREECE AGAMEMNON TO ALEXANDER MAY 5-22, 2018 TOUR LEADER: DR JOHN TIDMARSH GREECE Overview AGAMEMNON TO ALEXANDER During our travels we shall visit many of the great sites of ancient and medieval Greece while focussing on two vital eras in its rich history, Tour dates: May 5-22, 2018 namely the world of the Aegean Bronze Age and that of the Macedonian rulers Philip and his son Alexander (the Great), whose exploits altered the Tour leader: Dr John Tidmarsh ancient world forever. Tour Price: $8,975 per person, twin share It is during the Aegean Bronze Age (c.3000-1000 BC) that we see the rise and fall of two of the most remarkable (and enigmatic) civilizations— Single Supplement: $1,245 for sole use of Minoan and Mycenaean—of the ancient world. In Crete we explore the double room sprawling palace of King Minos at Knossos, home to the legendary Minotaur, along with the lesser known but equally fascinating Minoan Booking deposit: $500 per person palaces of Mallia and Phaestos and the charming and well-preserved Recommended airline: Emirates Minoan village of Gournia, unearthed by the extraordinary American Harriet Boyd Hawes, the first woman to lead an archaeological excavation in the Aegean. Maximum places: 20 From Crete we then travel to Athens, home to the Acropolis, ancient Itinerary: Heraklion (3 nights), Athens (2 nights), Agora, and a host of superbly laid out museums. From Athens (also a Nafplio (2 nights), Pylos (2 nights), Olympia (1 Mycenaean stronghold, the remains of which are still visible) it is on to the night), Delphi (2 nights), Volos (2 nights), Peloponnese, where we enter the world of Agamemnon and the warrior Thessaloniki (3 nights) Mycenaean kings who dominated Greece from their awe-inspiring palaces at Mycenae, Tiryns, and Pylos (all of which we visit) until their civilization Date published: May 31, 2017 mysteriously collapsed at the end of the Bronze Age. We then head north, via the imposing medieval castle of Methoni, the iconic classical sites of Olympia and Delphi (both of whose origins reach back to Mycenaean times), the picturesque port of Volos situated on the wooded slopes of Mt. Pelion, and Meteora, with its stone pinnacles crowned precipitously by Byzantine-era monasteries, before arriving at Thessaloniki, gateway to ancient Macedon. It is from Macedon that Alexander set out from his birthplace Pella, with its palace, opulent peristyle houses, and fine mosaics, to conquer the world after Philip had fallen victim to the assassin’s blade at Vergina (ancient Aegae) and was buried in a monumental tomb whose spectacular contents are now on display. Join us for this fascinating 5,000-year journey through Greece, the most timeless of lands. Your tour leader Dr John Tidmarsh was previously Tutor and then Part-Time Lecturer in Greek and Roman archaeology in the Department of Archaeology Enquiries and at the University of Sydney, and is the former bookings President of the Near Eastern Archaeology Foundation. He is a Co-Director of the For further information and to University of Sydney’s excavations at Pella in secure a place on this tour Jordan (where he has worked since 1979) and please contact Jemma York at is also Co-Director of the Australian Academy Travel on 9235 0023 Archaeological Mission at Jebel Khalid in Syria. or 1800 639 699 (outside He was previously Associate Director of the Sydney) or email University of Sydney’s excavations at Paphos, [email protected] Cyprus, and was also Senior Investigator at the university’s excavations at Torone in Greece. Tour Highlights MINOAN CRETE Discover the Minoan civilization that flourished during the Middle Bronze Age on Crete from c. 2000BC to 1500 BC which through its art and architecture made a significant contribution to Western European civilization as it is known today. Visit the Palace of Minos at Knossos, home to the legendary Minotaur, as well as the lesser-known (but equally fascinating) Minoan palaces of Malia, Gournia and Phaestos. ATHENS Experience Athens, which grew from a small Mycenean community to a city that at its height epitomised the best of Greek virtues that gave birth to democracy. Wander through the Agora, centre of city life, on our way to Greece’s defining symbol of cultural achievement — the Acropolis — dedicated to the goddess Athena and proclaiming the glory of Athens to the world. MYCENAE Explore the Mycenean citadels of the Late Bronze Age in the Peloponnese. Visit the awe-inspiring palace of Agamemnon at Mycenae, with its Lion Gate, monumental tombs and Cyclopean walls, as well as the citadel of Tiryns (‘of the mighty walls’) as mentioned by Homer, and the beautifully preserved ‘Palace of Nestor’ at Pylos where the spectacular ‘Tomb of the Griffin Warrior’ was unearthed. AMAZING MUSEUMS Investigate thousands of years of accumulated history through a dazzling array of museums that provide relevance and context to the sites visited on the tour. From the Archaeological Museum in Heraklion, displaying Minoan treasures from all over Crete, to the National Archaeological Museum of Greece with its collection of Mycenaean and classical period artefacts, and smaller site museums at Nafplio, Olympia and Delphi. PELLA AND VERGINA Visit the premier cities of the ancient Macedonian kingdom. Explore Pella, the kingdom of the brilliant military commander, Philip II father of Alexander, with its palace complex, agora and opulent houses embellished with fine pebble mosaics as well as Vergina, burial place to the Macedonian kings, where Philip was assassinated and then buried in an unplundered tomb whose contents were revealed to the world in 1977. Detailed itinerary Included meals are shown with the symbols B, L and D. Saturday 5 May Arrive The tour commences at Athens Airport where we will board a flight to Heraklion. We arrive in Crete and transfer to our hotel for an introductory talk and drinks followed by dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight Heraklion (D) Sunday 6 May Gournia, Malia and Knossos Our day begins with a talk in the hotel before departing by coach for the Minoan town of Gournia, named for the hollow vessels found at the site. Gournia was excavated by an American team of archaeologists in the early part of the 20th century and consists of a central palace, some sixty houses and an interconnecting road system. We explore another Minoan site at Malia, the third largest palace on Crete after Knossos and Phaistos. Originally constructed c. 1900 BC it was later destroyed and the ruins we see today are of the second palace rebuilt c. 1650 BC. The palace was discovered in 1915 and excavations of the entire town continue today. After lunch we visit Crete’s most famous site, the Minoan palace complex of Knossos. The area shows occupation from Neolithic times but the first palace was established c. 1900 BC. This was destroyed by an earthquake 200 years later and completely rebuilt. The site is, in fact, a complex of administrative, residential, and religious structures that offers an excellent idea of what life in Above: The grand Palace of Minos at Knossos; the Phaistos Disk Minoan Crete may have been like. Overnight Heraklion. (B, L) housed in the Archaeological Museum in Heraklion Below: the caryatides support the porch at the Erechtheion in Athens Monday 7 May Phaistos and Heraklion Archaeological Museum This morning we travel to Phaistos, a Minoan royal palace complex on a dramatic hilltop site overlooking the Messara Plain. We return to visit the excellent Archaeological Museum in Heraklion, which re-opened in 2014 following a lengthy renovation with artefacts displayed both chronologically and thematically. Its collection includes Minoan artefacts and wall paintings from Knossos and the other Minoan palaces as well as the mysterious Phaistos Disk. Overnight Heraklion. (B) Tuesday 8 May Athens Agora and the Acropolis We depart our hotel in Heraklion and board a flight to Athens where we transfer to our hotel. After lunch in a local restaurant we walk through the Agora, centre of the ancient city where citizens assembled for a wide variety of administrative, cultural, religious and political purposes. We continue up to the Acropolis. The Parthenon, Erechtheion, and the exquisite temple of Athena Nike are the centrepieces of the ancient buildings on the Acropolis and encapsulate both the beauty and achievements of ancient Greece. We complete our tour with a visit to the Acropolis Museum where artefacts recovered from the site and spanning thousands of years are displayed. Dinner is in a local tavern. Overnight Athens. (B, L, D) Wednesday 9 May Athens Archaeological Museum There is a talk in the hotel this morning preceding our visit to the National Archaeological Museum of Greece, with its incomparable collection of Mycenaean and classical period art and artefacts. Originally built to house finds from around Athens it has become a truly national museum with collections devoted to prehistory, sculptures, metallurgy and pottery. These pieces will remain with us during the tour as exemplars of many of the sites we shall visit throughout the country in the coming days. The afternoon is at leisure to further explore the museum or enjoy more of Athens. Overnight Athens. (B) Thursday 10 May Mycenae and Tiryns Above: The well preserved Ancient Theatre at Epidaurus known for its We depart for the Plain of Argos and arrive at Mycenae, the seat fine perfect acoustics and fine structure of Agamemnon who served as leader of the Greek coalition at Troy and a site that gave its name to a whole civilization. This morning we walk through the famous Lion Gate, see the Shaft Below: The museum at Nafplio houses an exquisite find of Bronze Age Graves of Circle A and climb through the site to the crowning armour from the Mycenaean Tomb in the Dendra region dating from the Megaron Palace where the Mycenaean king would have held end of the 15th Century BC sway over much territory.