Temple of Isis, Delos, Greece
In a country as ancient and frequently visited as Greece, you might think all the must-see spots are always swarmed with tourists—but you'd be wrong. Move destinations like the Acropolis and Crete to less prominent spots on your itinerary and instead discover delights like Cape Sounion, where Greek mythology says Aegeus, king of Athens, leapt from a cliff to his death and gave his name to the Aegean Sea. Or Brauron, where archaeologists discovered the sanctuary of Artemis, goddess of vegetation and hunting and the protector of childbirth.
Art historian Renee Gondek highlights the art and archaeology of these sites and others equally as intriguing, including Mycenae, one of the major centers of Greek civilization in second millennium B.C.; Eleusis, annual location of the Eleusian Mysteries, the secret rites practiced by the cult of Demeter and Persephone; and Delos, the holy sanctuary that predated the myths of Mount Olympus by a thousand years. She also explores Pella, where rooms with figural mosaic floors portray such scenes as a lion hunt and Dionysius riding a panther; Samothrace, home to the Sanctuary of the Great Gods and the famed statue of Winged Victory now in the Louvre; Vergina, first capital of the kingdom of Macedonia; and Kos, the island location of a well-known healing sanctuary. Located both on and off the Greek mainland, all are of archaeological and historical importance for contemporary visitors—and a little off the beaten path.
World Art History Certificate elective: Earn 1/2 credit
