Peloponnese Field Trip (Day 4): Greek Hospitality in the Land of Athletes

Peloponnese Field Trip (Day 4): Greek Hospitality in the Land of Athletes

Today we explored the area of Olympia. Our first stop of the day was at the Archaeological Site of Olympia. It was the site that I was most excited to visit: the birthplace of the Olympic games! In my photography class, we had explored the site through archaeological photographs but none of them conveyed how vast and stately it actually was. I had previously thought that the site was mainly dedicated to the Olympic games and the training of athletes. Little did I know, that it actually only took up a small portion of the site, the main function of it was as a sanctuary dedicated to Zeus. My favorite parts of the site were: 1) the workshop of Phidias, the sculptor of the Statue of Zeus 2) the stadium at Olympia 3) the statue bases leading up the stadium shaming cheaters and 4) the bronze helmet of Miltiades, a general in the Battle of Marathon!

Temple of Zeus at Olympia

Stadium at Olympia

Panagiotis and his Family

The best part of the day, however, was getting to visit our bus driver, Panagiotis’, village. It turns out that Panagiotis is from a small village 15 minutes away from Olympia and his family still lives there! As soon as we arrived, people came out of their homes to say hi and welcome us to their village. When we got to his house, his family had laid out a table with flowers they had picked, oranges from the village, and sweets. We met his wife, two daughters, and his mother and their neighbors.

We started talking to his two daughters, Morena and Grigoria, who told us about their lives, school, the village, and even dating culture. We added each other on Instagram and they told us that they want to be an archaeologist and a doctor. They then gave a tour of their village and told us about the history of their town. Although the current name of the town is named after a shepherd, it used to be named after Hercules. According to mythology, Hercules stopped in their village during his travels and bathed in the river next to it. In the past, Olympian competitors were required to bathe there to cleanse themselves before continuing to Olympia, the sanctuary of Zeus. They also told us that in the summer of 2007, there was a huge wildfire that went through the region, destroying nearby villages, the valley, and part of their own village. Their house was spared and after the fire, his mother dedicated a miniature church in their front yard thanking God.

The girls with Morena and Grigoria

 What was also amazing was that in the process of expanding his house, Panagiotis found a statue, some coins, and a shaft grave on his property! He reported the finds to the government so that it could be properly excavated. I often forget that the entirety of Greece is a living archaeological site and that the region has just been continuously built upon.

Listening to the History of the Town

 The entire experience was amazing! It was cool to talk to Greek people and learn about their lives. Their present lives are so interconnected with the past and it was truly a special experience. As we were leaving, they took apart the bouquet of flowers they had picked and gave us each a mini-bouquet and an orange. It truly was an experience of Greek hospitality and generosity and I love the pride of their own history, culture, and heritage. It will be an experience I remember forever.

Our group with the Papadopoulos Family!

Peloponnese Field Trip (Day 3): Meat, meat, meat...and more meat!

Peloponnese Field Trip Day 3!!

Archaeologists working at the Palace of Nestor

Our first stop of the day was at the Palace of Nestor, another important center during the Mycenean period. We toured the palace and saw the throne room where the king would have received people, the storeroom with gigantic amphora that would have been filled with olive oil, and the bathtub that Telemachus supposedly bathed in when he sought out King Nestor to ask where his father, Odysseus, was. While we were there, two archaeologists were working on the site. It was interesting to see the type of work they were doing and the amount of attention to detail the work required. We had also talked about the site of the Palace of Nestor in my photography class when we examined the excavation of the Tomb of the Griffin Warrior. Being able to actually see the site and really helped me tie in everything I’ve learned about the site in various classes!   

Our next step was the Bay of Pylos where Professor Dimitri told us about the naval Battle of Pylos that took place in 425BCE during the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta. We stood on the shore where the Spartans would have set up camp and looked over at the island where the Athenians trapped 420 Spartiate hoplites. I had learned about the Battle of Pylos in my Ancient Greek History class at Tufts but actually being able to stand at the bay and see where it happened while learning about it was a whole new experience.

Looking out at the Bay of Pylos from the Spartiates camp!

And More MEAT!!

Our last stop of the day was at the town of Pylos where we visited the Niokastro fortress. It was also Tsiknopempti! At the square, there was a large group of people grilling meat at a περίπτερο kiosk. They were playing music and some people were grilling meat while others were drinking wine and dancing. A couple people waved us over and started handing us forkful after forkful of meat and cups of wine. As soon as we finished our forkful of meat, they would take the empty fork out of our hands and fill it up again. I think all I had for lunch that day was grilled meat! Not that I’m complaining. The people grilling meat told us about Tsiknopempti and why they celebrate with meat and were curious about what we were studying in Athens. It was an amazing experience to be able to witness and take part in a celebration like that!

Eating meat!!!!!

Niokastro Fortress!

Peloponnese Field Trip (Day 2): A Town of Past Glory and the Air of Olives

Day two of the Peloponnese field trip! We started off our day by going to the Fortress of Palamidi in the town of Nafplio. Its position on top of a high hill gives it spectacular views of the city and the ocean. Professor Dimitri gave us a brief history of the fortress then showed us the dungeon where a prisoner would serve solitary. We all filed in one by one, having to crouch down and waddle through a tunnel, to get to the small dungeon. Our group decided to walk the 913 steps from the fortress down to the road where our bus was waiting. My shins were aching but the views were so worth it!

Walking the 913 steps down!

My friend Danielle and I on the balcony our room with the Fortress in the distance!

A video of my group walking into the solitary dungeon!

Our next stop was the Archaeological Site of Mystras, the center of Byzantine power. The site was beautiful and probably the largest archaeological site I’ve ever seen. A CYA professor, whose expertise is the Byzantine era, gave us a tour of the three-leveled ancient town within the fortifications and including houses, streets, public squares, churches, and palaces. We could see evidence of the town’s Medieval and Ottoman history in the same place!

A beautiful church on the site!

Walking through the streets of Mystras!

For lunch, we stopped at the modern town of Sparta. I was super excited to see Sparta because it has always played such an important in mythology and ancient history. The Spartans were known for their military prowess and societal order. They prided themselves on being the opposite of democratic Athens; there was a very clear hierarchical structure, and everyone knew their roles and what they were supposed to do. They were the superpower of ancient Greece. Modern Sparta, however, did not reflect this. Perhaps it was because we didn’t have enough time to explore or we visited during the wrong time of year, but the city did not show hints of its legendary past.

Our last stop was the city of Kalamata, where we spent the night. For one of my classes, “Ancient Materials and Technologies”, my group had chosen the name “Kalamata Olives” for our team name (don’t ask). I knew Kalamata was famous for their olives, but what I wasn’t prepared for was to be hit with the smell as soon as I stepped off the bus. We didn’t have much time to explore that night, but we were just in time to catch the sunset at the port to the smell of olives  ahh ~~

Sunset with a smell of olives! :)

Peloponnese Field Trip (Day 1): A Land of Mythology and some ~Authentic~ Gelato

Peloponnese Field Trip!! Day 1!!

Day one of our whole program Peloponnese field trip! I’m super excited about this trip. The Peloponnese played such an influential part in the shaping and identity of Ancient Greek history. As a classical studies major, I’m most excited about visiting all the sites associated with mythology!!!

We have all been split into 6 different groups with different focuses. My group’s theme is “The Shaping of Identities”. We will explore the importance and role of fortified locations in shaping and protecting the character, independence, and survival of the Peloponnese and its people.

We set off at 8am sharp from CYA and made a stop at the Isthmus of Corinth. Apparently, the word “isthmus” comes from the Ancient Greek word for “neck” and refers to the narrow strip of land that connects the Peloponnese to mainland Greece. We all stopped on the bridge to look down into the canal that cuts across the land, connecting the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf. The canal now is an incredible sight—the land drops straight down hundreds of feet and standing on the bridge, you can see both ends of the narrow canal. It’s crazy to think that throughout ancient Greek history, so many attempts were made to dig this canal by hand.

Our next stop was the archaeological site of Mycenae where we saw the infamous Lion’s Gate and Grave Circle A where the Mask of Agamemnon was discovered. Standing at the Lion’s Gate, we got to see the fortification wall that enclosed the main portion of the city. The wall is 6 feet thick and built from huge limestone blocks fitted together. They’re called “cyclopean walls” because Ancient Greeks (after the Myceneans) believed they were built by cyclops. Something our group discussed was the purpose of the walls. They were unnecessarily thick and there is no evidence that contemporary Minoans on the island of Crete had fortifications enclosing their cities. Our conclusion was that the thickness of the walls was to send a message to other Mycenean cities of their power. We also got to go to the Epidaurus theater!! We took turns standing in the middle of the theater to test out the acoustics. A man came up and started singing opera while we were there!

The Mycenean Cyclopean Wall

Ancient Theater of Epidaurus

The Lion's Gate

 We also visited the archaeological site of Epidaurus. Our group leader, Professor Demetrios, led us through the sanctuary of Asclepios on the route that an Ancient Greek visitor would have taken. Before entering, a visitor would cleanse themself in order not to pollute the sanctuary. Upon entering, they would make a sacrifice to Asclepios at the temple. The sick would head to the Enkoimeterion where they would sleep and receive a dream from the god with instructions on to heal themselves. What was cool to see was that the sick weren’t the only ones to visit the sanctuary. It included sources of entertainment like a music hall, stadium, baths, and a boxing/wrestling courtyard for other visitors.

Apparently, the! best! gelato!

We spent the night in the beautiful port town of Nafplio, the first capital of the independent Greek state. Apparently, Nafplio has the best gelato so, of course, Professor Dimitri had to treat us all to some! Our group sat on the port and watched the sun set over the ocean. The views are breathtaking!!!!

Sunset at Nafplio!