Exploring Greece, Turkey, Tunisia, Sicily, and Pompeii

Journey of Aeneas

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On this Mediterranean voyage inspired by the poetry of Virgil, we trace the epic journey of Aeneas, investigating layers of history and myth as we explore this Trojan wanderer’s legendary ports of call. We voyage aboard the all-suite 114-guest Corinthian II from ancient Troy, Aeneas’ home city, to Crete, past the Strophades Islands where Aeneas was blown off course, onward to Sicily, where he sought shelter from a storm, and then to Carthage, where he won the love of Queen Dido. Our guest lecturers, including the distinguished Professor Donald White, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Classical Archaeology at the University of Pennsylvania, bring alive the ancient world of gods, oracles, and heroes, and the stories of four great civilizations—Minoan, Phoenician, Greek, and Roman.

Below is an Itinerary-in-Brief. To view a complete Detailed Itinerary, Download Full Itinerary or Email our Area Specialist

Itinerary-in-Brief

Days 1-4
US / Istanbul / Canakkale, Turkey / Troy / Delos, Greece / Syros

Depart the US, arrive Istanbul, and embark. At Canakkale on Turkey’s northern Aegean Coast, we visit ancient Troy, where Aeneas fought bravely by the side of Hector during the Trojan War until the city of King Priam finally fell to the clever scheme of Odysseus­the Trojan Horse. Excavations here have revealed not just one city but 46 cities built on top of each other from 3,000 BC to 400 AD. The pristine island of Delos is our next port of call. Legend identifies Delos, in the center of the Aegean, as the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis. Here, the oracle of Apollo informed Aeneas that he must seek out the “ancient mother,” which Aeneas interpreted to be Crete. Our walking tour includes the shrine of Apollo as well as the Terrace of the Lions, which guards the Sacred Lake. We sail from here to the beautiful island of Syros, capital of the Cyclades Islands.

Days 5-7
Knossos / Rethymnon, Crete / Nikopolis

In Crete, where Aeneas and his followers began to build a city, we explore one of the finest achievements of Minoan civilization: the Palace at Knossos, with its underground labyrinth—legendary domain of the Minotaur—and its stairways and chambers decorated with frescoes illustrating life as it was 4,000 years ago. Sailing to Actium, where the Trojans called after Crete, we continue to charming Preveza, with its cafes and tavernas lining the waterfront. After visiting Nikopolis, the most extensive Roman site in Greece, we drive the coast to the Nekromanteion of Ephyra (the sanctuary of Persephone and Hades), where in Homer’s Odyssey, Charon rowed the dead across the mythological River Styx to the Underworld. On Day 7, we cross the blue Mediterranean following the course of the Trojans to Siracusa.

Days 8-12
Siracusa, Sicily / Carthage, Tunisia / Pompeii / Naples

In Sicily, we call at the welcoming coastal city of Siracusa, with its fabulous Greek, Roman, and Christian ruins, including a 15,000-seat Greek theater. Cruising to Tunis, Tunisia, we visit legendary Carthage, where Aeneas met the lovely Dido. Returning to Sicily, we visit medieval Erice and Segeste, with its Doric temple and theater. At journey’s end we cruise to Naples for an excursion to the Phlegraean Fields, where Aeneas traveled to the Underworld and met his father, Anchises. We visit the ruins of Pompeii, the city both destroyed and remarkably preserved by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD, then disembark in Naples on Day 12.

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Tour Costs Per person from: $6795 Prices are based on double occupancy and depend on cabin type *Prices are for 2008 dates only **Airfare is not included in Tour Cost unless indicated

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