Living Greek in Greece

July 30 - August 14, 2016

Course Description

Living Greek in Greece is an intensive introduction to spoken Attic Greek. In two seminar-style meetings every day, participants read and discuss ancient Greek literature and philosophy in Attic Greek. Each year, readings are organized around a set theme. This year's theme is "Paradise" and readings will include selections from various Attic authors as well as from Homer's Odyssey.

In addition to the daily seminar sessions, Living Greek in Greece includes an optional Christian Greek reading group, lectures in English on various topics related to classical or modern Greek culture, and a trip to an important site in Greece that is relevant to the year’s theme. In 2016, the course will visit the islands of Kefalonia and Zakynthos.

Prerequisites

Participants should have a basic reading knowledge of Attic Greek. This is usually the equivalent of one year of Greek at the university level.

Classroom and Housing

Living Greek in Greece is held at the Hellenikon Idyllion, a hotel and Hellenic cultural center located in the charming seaside village of Selianitika on the north coast of the Peloponnese. Classes take place outdoors in a lush garden, just a few meters from the beach.

Accommodation at the Idyllion in shared bungalow apartments is included in the cost of the course. All apartments have a full bath, kitchen access, and air conditioning. Groceries can be purchased in the nearby village and there are numerous seaside tavernas within walking distance. The garden also has fruit trees available to the program's participants.

To view accommodation information click here

Classes take place in a seaside garden on the north coast of the Peloponnese.
A library and musical instruments are available for student use.
Students stay in shared bedrooms or bungalows located in the garden.
Hotel style accommodation is available for an increased rate.
Participants can either cook for themselves in a shared kitchen or eat in nearby beachside tavernas.

Living Greek in Greece Staff

Claire Catenaccio

Joseph Conlon

Anna Conser

Richard Hutchins

Jason Pedicone

Alex Petkas

Tuition and Fees

The cost of Living Greek in Greece is $2250.

This amount includes tuition, housing, course materials, site visits, and transportation to and from Athens' Eleutherios Venezelos airport. Airfare is not included.

The Paideia Institute is able to offer a number of full and partial scholarship to students with financial need. Please visit our scholarships page to learn more.

Academic Credit

Starting in 2015, academic credit will be available for Living Greek in Greece on an optional basis through Brooklyn College. Students taking Living Greek in Greece for credit enroll as students at Brooklyn College, take a final exam and pay an additional Brooklyn College tuition of $2400 ($800 / credit) for non-residents of New York State and $1140 ($380 / credit) for New York residents directly to Brooklyn College. All students seeking credit for should indicate this on their application. The Paideia Institute will support students admitted to Living Greek in Greece through the Brooklyn College application and enrollment process.

PaiDayCare

For a supplemental fee, the Paideia Institute will organize daycare for the children of participants during class sessions and trips upon request.

Request an Application

The application deadline for Living Greek in Greece 2016 has now passed.
Applications for our 2017 summer programs will be available in fall 2016.

Testimonials

"Living Greek in Greece made me want to become a Hellenist. I was surprised that a two-week program could achieve such an effect, but the program was incredibly enlightening. Every staff member was extremely helpful, refreshingly enthusiastic, and inspired me greatly in my studies of Greek. It made me remember, or maybe even realize to a much greater extent, why I am studying Classics."

Sarah Gianakon '15
Princeton University

"I'm really surprised by how much I grew personally and intellectually in just two weeks. It was unlike anything I'd ever done before - I left feeling invigorated about Greek and knowing I made formative personal relationships with my peers. I will be reading another Euripides play next semester - Medea - and now feel very confident going into this seminar. I wish I could do this program every summer!"

Zoe Adams '14
Vassar College

"We began the program apprehensive about whether we could speak in ancient Greek and by the end of the two weeks were conducting a seminar on Heraclitus in Ancient Greek. It's truly extraordinary how much progress we made in such a short time. Students arrive with only two years of Greek and no experience speaking the language and after only a week of classes are able to summarize the action in a passage of Homer's Odyssey and pose and answer questions about the text, all in Ancient Greek!"

Curtis Dozier '13
Professor of Classics at Vassar College

"If Classics seems inaccessible—an esoteric subject that only the most privileged students and university professors can master—then it will remain so. Yet Living Greek in Greece is proof that this need not be the case. The program opened my eyes to ways in which even rigorous grammatical and vocabulary training can be a dynamic and interactive experience. I remember an introductory Latin class in which my classmates and I were surprised to find that ludusmeans both game and school. The Paideia Institute provided a space in which students and staff, unencumbered by the formalities and pressures of 'school,' were able to play with language and literature, and to unabashedly reflect on the personal experiences, passions, and questions that drew us to classics in the first place."

Elizabeth Butterworth '13
Oxford University

"The program was wonderful and enlightening, the staff were gracious and friendly, and I agree completely with the philosophy of the institute."

Paul Antony '12
Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University

"As a relative newcomer to Greek, I was extremely nervous about speaking it in an environment filled with so many linguistically talented people. However, the laid-back atmosphere of LGiG instantly put me at ease, and thanks to the immersive environment my linguistic ability advanced a lot in such a short time. Reading Homer in the original for the first time sent chills down my spine--particularly in such evocative surroundings! If you want to know why ancient Greek still matters, you need look no further than this community of Hellenists who take such delight in paideia both in and out of the classroom."

Emily Rutherford '12
Princeton University

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