Tour #29: Thursday, 20 October 1955
Old Corinth, Mycenae, Nauplia & Epidaurus
Full-Day, by automobile (luncheon included)
Price: $36 per Person
Thursday, 20 October Itinerary
This full-day excursion is a drive through the towns surrounding Athens, and a visit to two of Greece's most ancient cities: Corinth, whose period of glory antedated Athens’, and Mycenae, a city that flourished in the Bronze Age.
You leave Athens in the early morning, and follow the route of the ancient Sacred Way to the Monastery of Daphni, a remarkable example of Byzantine architecture that contains the finest mosaics in Greece. The drive continues along the seashore past Megara into Old Corinth.
The ruins of Corinth, a leading commercial center of Old Greece founded in 900 B.C., include…
- the ancient marketplace,
- the Fountain of Pirene,
- the Fountain of Glauce,
- the Odeum,
- a large theatre, and the Asclepeion
Corinth is mentioned in several Greek legends. Jason is said to have fled there with the Golden Fleece and Medea. Bellerophon, the master of the winged horse Pegasus, was supposedly a native of the city. It is interesting to note that the Fountain of Pirene is said to have first gushed forth when it was accidentally struck by the hoof of Pegasus.
You visit the ruins of the Temple of Apollo atop the hill above the marketplace, the ancient fortress of Acrocorinthos towering over the entire city, and the Moore Museum, where you will see the fine vases from the tombs of the city.
The way to Mycenae, the legendary Capital of Agamemnon, is through the pleasant valleys of Cleonae and Argos. Mycenae enjoys the reputation of having been founded by Perseus, son of Zeus. Archaeologically, Mycenae dates back to 3000 B.C., but historically only to 1700 B.C.
The ruins visited include…
- the Acropolis,
- the Lions' Gate,
- the Royal Tombs,
- the Treasury of Atreus,
- and the Tomb of Clytemnestra
From Mycenae you drive to Nauplia, a city important in the Middle Ages, and after luncheon continue to Epidaurus, the legendary birthplace of Aesculapius, God of Healing. Weather permitting, there will be a concert in the classic theatre of Epidaurus.
Following this, you drive to Epidaurus-on-the-Sea for a trip in a fast tender across the Bay of Athens back to the CARONIA.
(Members of this tour cannot participate in Tour 30)
[Produced for the 1955 Autumn Mediterranean Cruise by American Express]