Members enjoy the view on the ferry to Thasos
We left for the west early in the day, and saw the Rion-Antirhion Bridge under a bright blue sky. Our first stop was Kalydon, where the Greek Ephoreia is conducting test excavations in the Heroön/Palaestra. Nonetheless we were able to explore the Macedonian tomb, complete with carved stone furniture, that lies under the main room of the Heroön. After visiting the sanctuary of Artemis, we pushed on to Oiniadai, Messolonghi, and finally back to Nafpaktos for the night, after a discussion of the Battle of Lepanto. Our core group this year has 13 Regular Members and two spouses, from nine universities in the U.S. and Canada. They are excellent travelers, with humor and verve and plenty of energy, and with an admirably wide range of interests.
We made our way up to Preveza after stops at Thermon, the Agrinion Museum (which welcomed us despite our muddy boots), and Stratos. At Preveza, many of us swam in the channel where Agrippa had Octavian’s ships attack the Egyptian fleet of Cleopatra. We visited Nikopolis and the victory memorial, and went further north to Ephyra and Kassope. There in the Zalonga mountains the heavens opened up on us, and under a very dramatic sky, with thunderbolts raging around us, we hurried from the Macedonian tomb/heroön at the west end of the ancient city back toward the guard’s pavilion. When the rain let up a little, we heard about the Souliote Women on Zalonga, and some students practiced the syrtos dance the women are said to have enacted as they leapt to their death from the nearby cliffs. After that major downpour, we had beautiful weather for the rest of the trip.
We were accompanied by Whitehead Professor Helma Dik, who talked to us at Arta on the beautiful boustrophedon inscription on the Polyandrion. Also at Arta we saw the new museum, the Panagia Parigoritissa church, and visited the Old Bridge, where I read aloud Trustee Emeritus Alan Boegehold’s translation of the traditional dirge that tells the story of its construction (in order to stand, it required the sacrifice of the architect’s wife!). We then went to Hellenistic Horraon, where houses are preserved up to their second story, in this small town that guarded the pass between the area around Ioannina and ancient Ambrakia. That was followed by a trip to Dodona, where we just had time to hear about the site and test the acoustics in the theater.
At Ioannina we visited the Kastro and discussed Ali Pasha, whose depictions in the travelers’ accounts remind us of portraits of ancient tyrants. We reluctantly left Epiros, and moved on to begin our exploration of Macedonia, with the site of Aiani. There is a splendid new museum there, and a very interesting royal nekropolis that bears some resemblance to some of the tombs at Vergina. Our visit to Vergina rounded out a very full day.
In Macedonia we visited the School of Aristotle at Mieza, and the Tombs at Lefkadia where we were dazzled by the preserved color. At night in Naousa, Regular Member Katie Wilson led us in star-gazing, with the idea of re-enacting the telling of time by the zodiacal constellations. Modern technology helped with this as we held up our smartphones and ipads that had star charts. The next day we enjoyed the Pella museum, and heard about the Derveni Krater in Thessaloniki from participant Beryl Barr-Sharrar.
After our walking tour of Thessaloniki, including the Rotonda of Galerius, we were treated to a visit to the mosaic lab in the Byzantine Museum. We then dispersed to enjoy Thessaloniki and its many wonderful eateries. I learned of an upcoming general strike, but I was able to re-arrange our itinerary so we were still able to visit all the sites planned, including Thasos, Philippi, Amphipolis, and the Chalkidike. A highlight was the Temple of Zeus Ammon at Aphytis, and Olympiada, the village near Stageira, Aristotle’s birthplace. After returning through Macedonia via Litochoro, on the slope of Mt. Olympos, and visiting Dion and then Thermopylai, we returned home to the ASCSA, rather tired I suppose, but fulfilled from exploring the sites, hearing fresh ideas, and enjoying good conversations in great company.
— Margaret M. Miles
