Study Abroad Program

Revered as the birthplace of Western thought and democracy, Athens is much more than an open-air museum filled with crumbling monuments to ancient glory. Athens takes readers on a journey from the classical city-state to today's contemporary capital, revealing a world-famous metropolis that has been resurrected and redefined time and again. Although the Acropolis remains the city's anchor, Athens' vibrant culture extends far beyond the Greek city's antique boundaries. James H. S. McGregor points out how the cityscape preserves signs of the many actors who have crossed its historical stage.

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The ancient Greeks were a wonderful people. They gave us democracy, drama, and philosophy, and many forms of art and branches of science would be inconceivable without their influence. And yet, they were capable of the most outlandish behavior, preposterous beliefs, and ludicrous opinions. Like its companion volume, A Cabinet of Roman Curiosities, this is an uproarious miscellany of odd stories and facts, culled from a lifetime of teaching ancient Greek civilization. In some ways, the book demonstrates how much the Greeks were like us.

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The ancient Greeks set out from their mountainous homeland to colonize and settle much of the Mediterranean and Black Sea coasts. They have left their imprint on virtually every aspect of modern politics, theater, art, philosophy, medicine, architecture, and athletics. Their story is presented here from the Palaeolithic era to the Ottoman empire. Of key importance is the question of how the Greeks developed and adapted through the centuries, and how they interacted, both peaceably and otherwise, with the surrounding cultures. From mythology to recent history, the struggle has surged back and forth across the Aegean: Greeks against Troy, Greek migration and settlement in Asia Minor and southern Italy, Persian invasions of Greece, Alexander’s conquest of Asia, Roman intervention in the Greek world, the spread of Christianity, the rise of Islam, the Crusades to the Holy Land, and the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottomans.

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When you enter Greece's mountainous peninsula, with its long coastline and unique archipelago, you are returning to the cradle of Western civilization. And while the ancient Greeks fashioned our political, ethical, aesthetic, and scientific values, their descendants down the ages have continued to set trends and shape world events. The Greek character is a product of the landscape. Surrounded by sea on three sides, the physical features of the land forged the pronounced individuality and strong local patriotism of the warring city-states of antiquity. Their shared history and language formed the basis of a powerful world culture. Today it is coming to terms with its recent economic and political upheavals. The Greeks have repeatedly proved they can adjust and shift their expectations—the new generation knows the old ways have gone and is bracing itself for unpredictable challenges. Culture Smart! Greece will equip you with essential information about the background, values, and attitudes of the people you will meet and give practical advice on how to deal with unfamiliar situations. Life in Greece operates on many criss-crossing levels, offering plenty of possibilities and a variety of lifestyles. Visitors emerge from their Greek experience enriched for life, with an enduring affection for this beautiful land and its gifted people.

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Need to know it all? Our all-inclusive culture report for Greece will get up to speed on all aspects of culture in Greece, including lifecycle, religion, women, superstitions & folklore, sports, holidays & festivals, and etiquette.

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Modern Greece started as a monarchy in 1832, with just a fraction of the land it now encompasses. The nation of Greece finally forged its identity in the 19th and 20th centuries after emerging from 400 years of Ottoman domination. This book traces the development of Greece from the Minoan civilization of Crete to modern times, telling the story of how Greece added territory and experienced fierce growing pains--including coups, dictatorships, depressions, enormous influxes of immigrants, and wars--before evolving into today's modern democratic state. The History of Greece provides both an overview of Greece's early history as well as an examination of the difficulties that emerged in 2009 and 2010, such as its recent financial problems and social unrest. Quotes from Greek politicians, scholars, poets, and ordinary citizens are included to communicate Greece's national character.

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The book provides a chronological narrative of the social, political and economic history of modern Greece, beginning with the outbreak of the Greek War of Independence in 1821 until 2008.