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General Program Description

2008 Program Particulars

Program Prerequisite

Costs

Application Information

Frequently Asked Questions

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Pre-departure Information

The 2008 Faculty Director of the Athens Program is Dr. Dale Jacquette, Professor of Philosophy. Dr. Jacquette has teaching and research interests in many fields related to the origins of Western philosophy in ancient Greece. He has written extensively on Plato's philosophical psychology and on Aristotle's metaphysics and value theory. Dr. Jacquette was previously director for the Athens program in 2004.

Scheduled Course Offerings (tentative)

Philosophy/CAMS 497: Greek Concepts of the Soul (3 credits)
This course focuses on Plato's and Aristotle's philosophical theories of the soul. We first consider Socrates' views on the nature and immortality of the soul from the standpoint of Plato's dialogues on Socrates' trial and execution, in which his ideas about the soul are recalled after his execution. Plato offers an intimate portrait of Socrates as a person and philosopher, as well as a general introduction to philosophy and a careful philosophical exposition of the mind-body problem, the topic of the soul's mortality or immortality, and the relation between the soul and the body's biological fate. We then turn toward a philosophically instructive contrast between Socrates' and Plato's views about the soul with Aristotle's more recognizably scientific philosophical psychology. We will make site visits to important places in and around Athens that are directly connected with Plato's and Aristotle's writings on the concept of the soul and Socrates' tragic fate, to help understand these works in their cultural, historical and archaeological context.

Philosophy/CAMS/Art History 499: Greek Ideals of Beauty and the Good (3 credits)
In this site-visit intensive course, we investigate Greek ideals of beauty and the good in social and political interrelations and in the world of art and appreciation of beauty in nature. Studying these concepts in Greek philosophy on location in Greece provides a unique opportunity to familiarize ourselves with the physical context in which Greek thought about ethical, political and aesthetic values originated. We will focus on the two great thinkers of antiquity, Plato and Aristotle, as a basis for understanding philosophical methods in general, for assimilating important aspects of the history of Greek thought as the starting place of Western philosophy, for discovering the cultural roots of moral, political and aesthetic value that continue to inform contemporary philosophical discussions, and for engaging philosophically in ongoing disputes about the nature of value, ethical and political choice, and the concept and significance of beauty in art and nature.

ART HIST/CAMS/HIST 499: Archaeology of Ancient Greece (3 credits)--Dr. Steven Diamant (Athens Centre). A survey of the major historical monuments and sites, from the prehistoric period to Classical times. Includes field trips.

GREEK 099: Modern Greek Language and Culture (3 credits)--Athens Centre Staff. An intensive introduction to spoken modern Greek designed to enable students to use the language in their daily contact with the Greek people.

HIST/CAMS 399: Byzantine Greece (3 credits)--Dr. Vasso Penna (Athens Centre). A survey of medieval Greece from the collapse of the western Roman Empire, through the rise of the Byzantine Empire, to the Ottoman conquest of the 15th century. Includes field trips.

FINALIZED BOOK LIST (17 Oct 2007) - purchase these books and bring with you to Athens

Plato, Five Dialogues (Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Meno, Phaedo), translated by G.M.A. Grube

Plato, Republic
(any translation okay, prefer Bloom)

Plato, Symposium
(any translation acceptable, prefer Penguin edition)

Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics
(any translation okay, prefer Penguin edition)

Aristophanes, Four Plays (The Birds, The Clouds, The Frogs, Lysistrata) (Meridian edition)

2008 Program Calendar

(Please note: the 2008 field trip calendar has not yet been finalized.)

Arrival Date:	Monday, January 7
Orientation:	Tuesday, January 8
Welcome Dinner:	Tuesday, January 8
Classes Begin:	Wednesday, January 9
Spring Break:	Saturday, March 8 - Sunday, March 16
Easter Break:	Friday, April 25-Monday, April 28
Classes End:	Friday, April 18
Exams:	Tuesday-Thursday, April 22-24
Farewell Dinner:	Thursday, April 24
Move Out:	Tuesday, April 29 by noon

Tentative Field Trip Schedule

Athens Agora	16 Jan '08: Temple of Hephaestus, Ancient Greek Agora and Stoa of Attalus museum.
Santorini Trip	19 Jan '08: Museum of Prehistoric Thera and Foundation of Thira - Petros M. Nomikos. 20 Jan '08: Archaeological museum, Fira, visit to Kostas Antoniou and Boutari wineries. 21 Jan '08: Monastery of Profitis Ilias.
Steve Diamant's Argolid Trip	8 Feb '08: Mycenae site, tomb of Atreas & Museum. 9 Feb '08: Epidaurus site & Museum, Francthi Cave and visit to Dimitris Karonis cava. 10 Feb '08: Tiryns site and Lerna site, Palamidi castle.
Eleusis & Corinth	15 Feb '08: Ancient Eleusis and Museum; Ancient Corinth and museum; Acrocorinth.
Central Greece Trip	19 Feb '08: Nemea site, stadium and museum, Archaeological museum of Sparti, Ancient Sparti Acropolis and site of Artemis Orthia. 20 Feb '08: Byzantine site of Mistras, Messini museum and site. 21 Feb '08: Methoni Fortress, Palace of Nestoras, site and museum of Olympia. 22 Feb '08: Site and museum of Olympia. 23 Feb '08: Kalavrita (Moni Mega Spileou and Agia Lavra).
Aegina Island	5 Mar '08: Aegina Monastery, Temple of Aphaia and Museum and Archaeological museum and site of Kolonna.
Thessaloniki Trip	17 Mar '08: Osios Loukas monastery, Delphi sites or museum. 18 Mar '08: Delphi sites and museum, Meteora monasteries. 19 Mar '08: Monasteries in Meteora, Arch of Galerius. 20 Mar '08: Byzantine walk: Agios Dimitrios church and crypt, Rotonda - Church of St George, Palace of Galerius and Archaeological museum of Thessaloniki. 21 Mar '08: Vergina site and museum and Museum of Ataturk in Thessaloniki. 22 Mar '08: Thermopylae site.
Bauron & Sounion	4 Apr '08: Bauron site and museum, Sounion site and temple of Poseidon, Temple of Apollo (Asteras Vouliagmenis).
Rhamnous & Marathon	11 Apr '08: Rhamnous archaeological site, Sanctuary of Nemesis and Themis and Lower site. Marathon Archaeological Museum, Early Helladic Cemetery, Middle Helladic Cemetary, Soros of Plateaeon, Soros of Athenians and battlefield.
Athens	18 Apr '08: Keramikos site and museum; Plato's Academy site.

  (Note: Field trip schedule is subject to change)