Rediscovering the Classical World: A Voyage from Rome to Constantinople

Fly from the U.S. to Rome, Italy.

Arrive in Rome and transfer to the nearby port of Civitavecchia to embark on Corinthian II.

From quaint Agropoli, built on a headland facing the sea, drive to the ancient Poseidonia, the city of Neptune, founded by Greeks in the 6th century B.C. Situated majestically on an alluvial river plan, Paestum is one of Italy’s most important archaeological sites, containing superb Greek Doric temples, among the best-preserved buildings to survive antiquity.

Arrive in Sicily to explore Syracuse, which once rivaled Athens as the most important city of the ancient world. Visit the spectacular 15,000-seat Greek theater, among the most impressive to survive from antiquity; the elliptical Roman Amphitheater, one of the largest of its kind; and the Archaeological Museum, with its rare Sicilian artifacts. Also enjoy a walking tour of Syracuse’s old town on the island of Ortygia.

In Athens, the birthplace of western civilization, enjoy a tour of the famed Acropolis, including the Erechtheion and the majestic ruins of the Parthenon, one of the most architecturally perfect structures in the world. Also visit the Hill of the Areopagus and the Agora, known to Solon and Pericles. Alternatively, visit Brauron, whose Sanctuary of Artemis is one of the most graceful temples in Greece and then the ancient battlefield of Marathon, where the fallen Greeks were buried after they defeated the Persian army and a herald ran to Athens to announce the good news.

Corinthian II cruises into the flooded volcanic crater that forms the great circular bay of Santorini. From the sea, enjoy a beautiful view of the village of Phira, set atop a 1,000-foot-high palisade. In the second millennium B.C., volcanic eruptions shrouded the island in a blanket of pumice and ash, preserving many of the buildings in the town of Akrotiri, which centuries ago was inhabited by a sophisticated Bronze Age society. Visit the Nomikos Exhibition, where excellent reproductions of the frescoes at Akrotiri are on display, and the Prehistoric History Museum of Thera, and take a drive to the unspoiled town of Oia.

From the seaside town of Kusadasi, visit the great ancient city of Ephesus, one of the most important sites in the history of Asia Minor, with extensive ruins from the Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine periods. Visit the large theater in which the Ephesians rioted against St. Paul, the Library of Celsus with its imposing façade, and the Temple of Serapis. Spend the afternoon at leisure in Kusadasi or drive to Priene, founded by Greek colonists in 350 B.C., commanding a beautiful location on a promontory. The well-preserved ruins include the Temple of Athena, a theater, and others.

Call in Dikili for an excursion to Pergamon, founded by the heirs of Alexander the Great and known in Hellenistic times as the most beautiful city in Asia Minor. The finest Greek architects and sculptors lavished their talents on this magnificent city, and even today, the
remains are impressive. Visit the Greek Theater, carved into the hillside and able to accommodate 10,000 spectators. It is one of the world’s steepest and most dramatic of the surviving Greek theaters.

Disembark and transfer to the airport for return flights.