Course Dates: January 4 to January 23, 2027

NOTE: This course is offered in collaboration with the Greek University of Crete. It will provide CYA students with the opportunity to study alongside Greek students, fostering deeper cultural and academic immersion.
The course starts in Athens and includes a trip to Santorini with one overnight stay. Upon return to Athens, students will take the plane to Crete and the City of Rethymno, where the University of Crete is located. Please see ‘Essential Information’ below for more details.
This course is intended to explore the rich and complex history of Crete from the Bronze age (circa 3000 BCE) through the Classical, Hellenistic, Roman and early Byzantine periods (up to the 7th century CE), tracing the island’s evolving cultural, political, and religious landscape.Through a combination of classroom instruction and field experiences, students will engage directly in Crete’s historical legacy.
Museum and site visits, such as Akrotiri in Santorini, Knossos, and Gortyn, offer firsthand encounters with issues concerning material culture. Special emphasis is placed on inscriptions, which serve as vital historical documents revealing civic organization, religious practices, and linguistic transitions. Students will learn to interpret epigraphic evidence and understand its role in reconstructing historical narratives. The course also focuses on symbols of the Cretan Mythology, such as Minos, the Labyrinth, and the Minotaur, examining its influence on later literary traditions, and on various literary and documentary sources, providing additional layers of insight into Crete’s shifting identity under Greek, Roman, and Byzantine rule.
By the end of the course, students will have developed a nuanced understanding of Crete’s historical trajectory, its role in the Aegean and Mediterranean networks, and the interplay between myth, inscriptions, and lived experience.
This course is open to all students and it is particularly relevant also to those with elementary knowledge of Ancient Greek.

Credit
45 Contact Hours

Essential Information
The course starts in Athens and ends on the island of Crete, Rethymno City.
Students should plan to arrive in Athens by 14:00pm on Monday, January 4. An Orientation session is scheduled for 18:00 p.m. that evening.
At the end of the course, participants will return to Athens International Airport on Saturday 23 in the morning (this trip is included in the course fees). Upon arrival at Athens International Airport students will be responsible for arranging their own onward travel. More information will be provided to accepted students during the pre-departure process
Enrolled students will have access to detailed information prior to departure.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This course involves travel. Be wary of overpacking. It will be useful to bring with you travel-size cosmetics.

Housing & Meals
While in Athens students will be residing in CYA student apartments. Apartments will be available from 9:00 a.m. on January 4.

While in Crete, student accommodation will also be provided by CYA. More information will be shared prior to students’ arrival.

A welcome dinner will be offered at the start of the program. Please note that no other meals are included.

Facilities
While in Athens, meetings will take place in CYA’s Academic Center. While in Crete, classes will take place at the University of Crete campus. Basic WIFI is provided in the campus university.

Day-to-day Program & Itinerary
The day-to-day program and itinerary of the course are subject to change. Students are advised not to make plans for their free time or weekends in advance, as class schedules and site visits may be re-scheduled depending on local conditions.