Students explore tower at Oiniadai.
The new Regular Members—a congenial and lively group—arrived September 10th, and after a whirlwind orientation, we left for Nafpaktos, driving along the north shore of the Peloponnese and crossing the magnificent Trikoupis suspension bridge. There we discussed the Battle of Lepanto (1571) and admired the Venetian outworks and the statue of Cervantes (who was wounded in the battle, and lost the movement of his left hand, but “for the glory of the right.”) We proceeded on to Kalydon, Oiniadai and then Messolonghi for our first night. Well-launched into Aitolo-Akarnania, the next day we visited Thermon, the Agrinion museum, and Stratos, where we had our first block challenges on the Temple of Zeus.
At Preveza we were able to visit the splendid new Nikopolis Museum, Nikopolis itself, and the Campsite Memorial of Augustus. We continued up into Epiros for the “Nekromanteion” (most of us agreed it is more likely a fortified farmhouse), and the wonderfully situated site of Kassope. At Arta we were very fortunate to visit the beautiful new museum, just recently opened, and full of unusual grave stelai, pottery, terracottas similar to those in southern Italy, and other finds of great interest, including inscriptions in the Corinthian alphabet. The site Horraon always surprises the group, because the houses are so very well preserved, even up to the second story. After a visit to Dodona we spent the night at Ioannina, where the museum had a special exhibit of the coinage of Alexander and his successors, with very fine examples on view.
We then crossed over into Macedonia, and saw the nekropolis at Aiani and the excellent new museum. In Vergina we took refuge in pouring rain first for lunch and then the royal tumulus—our discussion of the finds and the issues of the identities of the occupants was postponed to early evening over drinks in our hotel in Naousa. We continued the next day (beautiful and clear) with a visit to Aristotle’s School in Mieza, the tombs at Lefkadhia, Pella (where again the new museum captivated us), and finally Thessaloniki.
After enjoying the city, we continued on to the Chalkidike and stopped at Potidaia and the Temple of Zeus Ammon, Olynthos, the Polygeiros museum, and Stageira, with the night at nearby Olympiada (one of three places that were said to have given asylum to Olympias before her death). Our next destination was Thasos, where we enjoyed good weather (rain only when it didn’t matter because we were on the bus), the quarries at Aliki, and yet another superb new museum. The Archaic architectural pieces and sculpture alone are worth a special visit there! We were so fortunate on this trip to find so many museums newly opened—and our good luck continued at Philippi and Amphipolis, and in the following day, at Dion, on the lower slope of Mt. Olympos. Our long drive home was punctuated with a stop at Thermopylai and a climb up to see the Phokian wall.
We had made a grand sweep from west to east, possible now because of the new Via Egnatia. Highlights of the trip included discussion of Pindar and the Polyandrion at Arta by Whitehead Professor Nancy Felson, and of Kalydon and the painted tombs of Lefkadhia by Whitehead Professor Clemente Marconi. As I write this, the group is in the deep Peloponnese with Director Jack Davis and Shari Stocker. Meanwhile, I am getting ready for Central Greece, coming up next!
Margaret M. Miles
Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Classical Studies
October 14, 2010
Watch the slideshow:
(all photos courtesy M.M. Miles)
