Join us for two magical weeks, as we explore the full range of Greek history: from the Mycenaean civilization of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey to the war with Persia and the Golden Age of Athens, from the Hellenistic empire of Alexander the Great to the glorious Byzantine Empire, from oppression under the Ottoman Turks to Greece’s struggle for Independence, from the vital role played by Greece in World War II and the Cold War to Greece’s slow growth from monarchy to democracy. As we travel across Greece visiting the major cities, museums, and archaeological sites, Louis Markos, Professor of English at Houston Baptist University, will bring alive the many phases of Greek history through a series of energetic, fast-paced lectures. He will also act as a companion and resource during our many excursions.

The price is based on 20 people traveling and deposit checks will not be cashed until we have reached the requisite number. The tour company will not finalize our itinerary until we have at least 20 travelers. Please make your checks payable to Navigant Vacations, and mail them to us at 4801 Woodway, Suite 400, Houston TX 77056 attn: Betty Feehan. Upon receipt of your check we will send you a complete itinerary with terms and conditions. Betty will be happy to help you with airline reservations to Athens and/or to extend your stay in Greece. For more information, contact Betty at 713-479-1312 or betty.feehan@navigant.com
For specific questions about the lectures or the sites we will be visiting, you may contact Dr. Markos directly at LMARKOS@hbu.edu or 281-649-3000, ext. 2279.

Day 2 - Arrive Athens; connect to Thessaloniki; tour old city. Overnight in Thessaloniki
Day 3 – Museum/churches of Thessaloniki. Overnight in Thessaloniki
Day 4 – Pella, Veria, Mt Olympus. Overnight in Kalambaka.
Day 5 - Meteora. Overnight in Kalambaka.
Day 6 - Delphi. Travel to Olympia and overnight.
Day 7 - Olympia visit. Travel to Sparta and overnight.
Day 8 – Mistras, then travel North. Overnight in Nauplion
Day 9 - Visit Epidaurus and Venetian Fortress of Nauplion. Overnight in Nauplion.
Day 10 - Visit Mycenae and Corinth. Drive to Athens and overnight.
Day 11 – Athens 1. Acropolis and Agora, etc.
Day 12 – Athens 2. National Archaeological Museum, etc.
Day 13 – Athens 3: Byzantine and Benake Museums, etc.
Day 14 (Thursday, June 5, 2008) – Departure
Tour will include breakfast every day and dinner on everyday except days 1, 2, 11, 13, and 14. That is to say, the tour package will include 9 (nine) dinners. Over the course of the tour, I will give 8-10 hours of lectures that will cover the full history of Greece from ancient Crete to the modern day. I will focus especially on the rise and fall of the ancient Athenian democracy, but will lecture as well on such important phases of Greek history as Alexander the Great, the Byzantine Empire, the Greek War for Independence, and Greece’s vital role in WWII and the Cold War. See below for a detailed schedule of the many, many historical sites that we will see and explore during our tour. In addition to my lectures—which will be given both on the bus and at select hotels—we will have official tour guides to lead us through the historical sites.


	THE LEGACY OF GREECE Join us for two magical weeks, as we explore the full range of Greek history: from the Mycenaean civilization of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey to the war with Persia and the Golden Age of Athens, from the Hellenistic empire of Alexander the Great to the glorious Byzantine Empire, from oppression under the Ottoman Turks to Greece’s struggle for Independence, from the vital role played by Greece in World War II and the Cold War to Greece’s slow growth from monarchy to democracy. As we travel across Greece visiting the major cities, museums, and archaeological sites, Louis Markos, Professor of English at Houston Baptist University, will bring alive the many phases of Greek history through a series of energetic, fast-paced lectures. He will also act as a companion and resource during our many excursions. Highlights of tour will include: Day 1 (Friday, May 23, 2008) - Fly USA to Athens Day 2 - Arrive Athens; connect to Thessaloniki; tour old city. Overnight in Thessaloniki Day 3 – Museums/churches of Thessaloniki. Overnight in Thessaloniki Day 4 – Pella, Veria (tomb of Philip of Macedon), Mt Olympus. Overnight in Kalambaka Day 5 – Meteora (ancient mountain-top monasteries). Overnight in Kalambaka Day 6 - Delphi. Travel to Olympia and overnight Day 7 - Olympia. Travel to Sparta and overnight Day 8 – Mistras (Greek HQ of Byzantine Empire). Travel to Nauplion and overnight Day 9 – Epidaurus (ancient theater) and Venetian Fortress of Nauplion. Overnight in Nauplion. Day 10 – Mycenae (palace of Agamemnon) and ancient Corinth. Travel to Athens and overnight Days 11 –13 – Athens: Parthenon, Agora, Archaeological and Art museums, etc. Day 14 (Thursday, June 5, 2008) – Departure The tour will include the flight from Athens to Thessaloniki, 3-4 star hotels throughout, and air conditioned coaches to transport us in comfort from site to site. In addition to Dr. Markos’s lectures, professional tour guides will accompany us throughout, giving us private, in-depth tours of all the major sites. The package will also include nine dinners, as well as breakfast daily. Cost of tour (excluding Houston/Athens air): $3200, double occupancy. $500 deposit per person needed as soon as possible to guarantee a place on the tour. Trip insurance is available through Central Holidays, Inc. and his highly recommended. The price is based on 20 people traveling and deposit checks will not be cashed until we have reached the requisite number. The tour company will not finalize our itinerary until we have at least 20 travelers. Please make your checks payable to Navigant Vacations, and mail them to us at 4801 Woodway, Suite 400, Houston TX 77056 attn: Betty Feehan. Upon receipt of your check we will send you a complete itinerary with terms and conditions. Betty will be happy to help you with airline reservations to Athens and/or to extend your stay in Greece. For more information, contact Betty at 713-479-1312 or betty.feehan@navigant.com For specific questions about the lectures or the sites we will be visiting, you may contact Dr. Markos directly at LMARKOS@hbu.edu or 281-649-3000, ext. 2279. ITINERARY FOR TRIP TO GREECE (May 23-June 5, 2008) Day 1 (Friday, May 23, 2008) - Fly USA to Athens Day 2 - Arrive Athens; connect to Thessaloniki; tour old city. Overnight in Thessaloniki Day 3 – Museum/churches of Thessaloniki. Overnight in Thessaloniki Day 4 – Pella, Veria, Mt Olympus. Overnight in Kalambaka. Day 5 - Meteora. Overnight in Kalambaka. Day 6 - Delphi. Travel to Olympia and overnight. Day 7 - Olympia visit. Travel to Sparta and overnight. Day 8 – Mistras, then travel North. Overnight in Nauplion Day 9 - Visit Epidaurus and Venetian Fortress of Nauplion. Overnight in Nauplion. Day 10 - Visit Mycenae and Corinth. Drive to Athens and overnight. Day 11 – Athens 1. Acropolis and Agora, etc. Day 12 – Athens 2. National Archaeological Museum, etc. Day 13 – Athens 3: Byzantine and Benake Museums, etc. Day 14 (Thursday, June 5, 2008) – Departure Tour will include breakfast every day and dinner on everyday except days 1, 2, 11, 13, and 14. That is to say, the tour package will include 9 (nine) dinners. Over the course of the tour, I will give 8-10 hours of lectures that will cover the full history of Greece from ancient Crete to the modern day. I will focus especially on the rise and fall of the ancient Athenian democracy, but will lecture as well on such important phases of Greek history as Alexander the Great, the Byzantine Empire, the Greek War for Independence, and Greece’s vital role in WWII and the Cold War. See below for a detailed schedule of the many, many historical sites that we will see and explore during our tour. In addition to my lectures—which will be given both on the bus and at select hotels—we will have official tour guides to lead us through the historical sites. DETAILED SCHEDULE (parts of which may change slightly) Friday: Leave Houston for Athens. Saturday: Arrive at Athens; take connecting flight to Thessaloniki. Depending on what time we arrive on Saturday, we will take a walking tour of the Ano Polis of Thessaloniki, including tour of Osios David. Sunday: Full day guided tour of Thessaloniki, to include White Tower, Archaeological Museum, Byzantine Museum, Arch of Galerius, Rotunda, Ayios Panteleimon, and Jewish Museum (also Osios David if not seen on Saturday). Spend second night at Thessaloniki. Monday: Visit Pella (birthplace of Alexander the Great) Veria (tomb of Phillip II), Dion, Mt Olympus. Bus driver will give us several different views of Olympus. Overnight in Kalambaka. Tuesday: Spend whole day exploring monasteries of Meteora. Second night at Kalambaka. Wednesday: A thorough tour of all parts of Delphi (including theater and stadium on top); take ferry across to Patras. Spend night at Olympia. Thursday: Spend all morning at Olympia with thorough tour of the ruins/museum. Then leave Olympia and take a scenic drive to Sparta. If time, see limited sites. Spend night at Sparta. Friday: Thorough tour of ruins/churches of Mistras—a tour that will provide a grand overview of Byzantine Greece. Drive to Nauplion and check into our hotel there. Saturday: Bus tour to Epidauros with a thorough tour of both the theater and the ruins behind theater. Back to Nauplion for tour of the Venetian Fortress. Second night at Nauplion. Sunday: Spend all morning with a thorough tour of Mycenae. Afternoon gives tour of Ancient Corinth and Acrocorinth. Late afternoon we head on to Athens, stopping at the Isthmus of Corinth on the way. Check in to Athens hotel, where we will stay for four nights. Monday: The centerpiece of this day will be a very thorough tour of the many buildings on the Acropolis and in the Agora, as well as the New Acropolis Museum (if it is open). If time, we will also see the Temple of Zeus and the Roman Forum/Tower of the Winds. After this bus/guide will leave us at the Monastiraki (flea market) to shop on our own. Tuesday: We will spend the morning getting a very thorough tour of The National Archeological Museum, as well as see Kerameikos and the Filopappos Hill. Tuesday late afternoon/early evening, coach will take group to Sounion to see the Temple of Poseidon and to have our final (romantic, sunset) banquet in that area. Wednesday: We will get a tour of the Benaki, Byzantine, and Cycladic Art Museums. We will end with a leisurely tour of the Kallimarmaro Stadium, the Plaka, the National Gardens, and Syntagma. If time we will see Lykavittos Hill. Thursday. Check out of Athens hotel; take coach to airport for flight back to Houston. Louis Markos (http://fc.hbu.edu/~lmarkos) is a Professor in English at Houston Baptist University; he is the author of From Achilles to Christ: Why Christians Should Read the Pagan Classics (IVP) and Pressing Forward: Alfred, Lord Tennyson and the Victorian Age (Sapientia).