2023 VERGILIAN SOCIETY TOURS AND WORKSHOPS
The Vergilian Society is offering exciting tours of ancient sites in Rome, Bay of Naples, Crete, Belgium and a stimulating Latin workshop for teachers that include opportunities to visit ancient sites to reinforce their teachings of the ancient world. https://www.vergiliansociety.org/2023-vergilian-society-study-tours-and…
See four programs below.
1. Belgium: the Roman Foundation of the Medieval World
June 27-July 11, Director: Raymond Capra, Queens College CUNY
The modern country of Belgium encompasses some of the northernmost settlements of the Roman Empire within continental Europe. The small nation forever remembered in Caesar’s line “Belgae fortissimae sunt.” The Roman presence in Belgium led to the establishment of small towns and villas which served as the later foundation for the prosperous cities of the Medieval and Renaissance periods. This tour will begin in the Netherlands in Amsterdam to vist the archaeological museum and then to Utrecht and the nearby Roman camp site of Fectio. In Belgium we shall visit the anitiquities and medieval buildings of the country while also focusing on the grand architecture of the country’s Cathedrals and public buildings such as the famous Hôtel de Ville in the Grand Place of Brussels. For it is in these cities, Bruges, where unions of men This tour will also briefly dip into Northern France to visit the city of Metz and also the capital city of Luxembourg.
$2995, single supplement: $475.
2. Roman Otium on the Bay of Naples: A 12-day Study Tour for K-12 Teachers
July 4-15, Directors: Jennifer Sheridan Moss, Wayne State University and Jennifer Luongo, St. Andrew's Episcopal School
Leisure was an important part of life for the Roman elite, as we know, but a certain amount of leisure time was an expectation for the lower classes as well. This tour, designed for K-12 teachers but open to all, will explore the connections between our remaining literary and archaeological evidence concerning otium in an area that the Romans themselves considered a leisure paradise, the Bay of Naples. The tour will focus on expanding teachers' knowledge of Roman culture in a way that will enhance their instruction. Readings will come from less popular authors; exposure to these writers (primarily silver age) will expand the canon from which teachers can draw lessons for their students (sight reading is an important part of the Latin AP, for just one example). Teachers of all pedagogical approaches (G/T, CI, oral Latin) are welcome, as we hope to emphasize the setting and the literature and ask the teachers to consider ways to fit it into their existing curriculum and pedagogies.
$2950, single supplement: $400
3. Gladiators and Roman Spectacle: Rome, Pompeii, Capua and Beyond
July 13-24, Director: Steven L. Tuck, Miami University
Public spectacle and grand spectacle entertainments are critical to understanding ancient Rome. These spectacles include the lavish feasts, funerals of elite Romans, and triumphal processions as well as the spectacle entertainments that occurred in the amphitheaters, circuses, and theaters of the Roman world. These spectacles reinforced Roman identity, created a sense of belonging and served as an outlet for imperial generosity. This twelve-day study tour explores the fascinating topics of gladiatorial combat, animal hunts, prisoner executions and other spectacles, the spaces where they occurred, their origins and uses in the Roman world. Days will be divided between lectures, brainstorming exercises, firsthand investigations of the spaces we are visiting and some free time to explore on your own. Our headquarters for this tour is the Villa Vergiliana, the overseas center for the Vergilian Society located in the heart of Campania, where gladiatorial combat and amphitheaters originated.
$2950, single supplement: $400
4. Crete (an informal extension to Rhodes optional)
Dec 27, 2023- Jan 4, 2024, Director: Beverly Berg
(Teachers who must return to classroom on Jan 2 please consult director for a possible alternative schedule for Crete, Dec. 23-31)
Bronze Age Crete, with its labyrinthine palaces and exuberant wall paintings, a world discovered through pioneering excavation and decipherment, will be our primary focus of study for this nine-day program. The tour will include Ayios Nikolaos, Mallia, Gournia, Herakleion, Phaistos, Ayia Triada, Knossos, Khania. For those who have the time and the inclination to see more, I add an informal extension to Rhodes.
$1995, single supplement: $300
