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Journey of Aeneas: Retracing The Aeneid through the Mediterranean
“ARMS AND THE MAN I SING,” wrote Virgil of Aeneas, who, “forc’d by Fate,” “expell’d and exil’d, left the Trojan shore.” The Aeneid is a story of inherited glory—the glory that passed from fallen Troy to Rome. On a voyage forged by the poetry of Virgil, we will retrace Aeneas’s epic journey. En route, we investigate the many layers of history and myth in the Trojan wanderer’s legendary ports of call: from the “windswept plain” of Ilium, voyage in the wake of Aeneas to ancient Mediterranean sites. We navigate past the Strophades Islands, where Aeneas was blown off course and assaulted by Harpies, and continue by way of Sicily to Carthage, where Aeneas won the love of Queen Dido. Our voyage then takes us to Naples, for a visit the Phlegraean Fields, entry-point to the Underworld and the setting for Aeneas’s brief reunion with his father, Anchises.
Itinerary
Day 1 • USA
Day 2 • ISTANBUL, Turkey | EMBARK
Day 3 • CANAKKALE | TROY | CANAKKALE
Day 4 • DELOS | SYROS, Greece
Day 5 • RETHYMNON | KNOSSOS | RETHYMNON, Crete
Day 6 • PREVEZA | NIKOPOLIS | KASSOPE | PREVEZA
Day 7 • AT SEA | SYRACUSE, Sicily, Italy
Day 8 • SYRACUSE
Day 9 • TUNIS | CARTHAGE | TUNIS, Tunisia
Day 10 • TRAPANI | ERICE | SEGESTA | TRAPANI, Sicily, Italy
Day 11 • NAPLES | PHLEGREAN FIELDS | CUMAE | POMPEII or NATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM | NAPLES
Day 12 • CIVITAVECCHIA | DISEMBARK | ROME | USA
View Detailed ItineraryOn this program as on all Travel Dynamics International Voyages, a guest lecturer will present lectures and lead discussions that will enhance your educational experience. At this time, the guest lecturer who will accompany the program has not yet been confirmed. All Travel Dynamics International lecturers share a love for both teaching and travel. Their presence ensures that our journeys are not only pleasant travel experiences but also intellectually rewarding.
Corinthian II
Our ships are known for their effortless elegance, bespoke service and atmosphere of charm and camaraderie.
SPACIOUS SUITES
The deluxe Corinthian II is an all-suite yacht accommodating up to 114 guests. Built in 1992 and refurbished and redecorated in 2005, it has 57 suites, each with:
• Sea view
• Queen-sized bed separable into two twin-sized beds
• Sitting area
• Satellite TV, DVD/CD player
• Telephone
• Mini-refrigerator
• Marble-appointed bathroom with fine toiletries
• 225 square feet or more
• Plush terry robes and slippers
• Fresh flowers and fruit basket
• 24-hour room service
The Penthouse Suites and Veranda Suites (400 and 300 square feet, respectively) feature private balconies accessed via sliding-glass doors, as well as white glove butler service.
FINE DINING
Corinthian II’s superb Continental cuisine is created by master chefs who select fresh local ingredients at many ports of call. Meals are served either in the stately restaurant or al fresco on the umbrella-studded sun deck. Fine regional wines are complimentary with lunch and dinner, and beginning in 2008 open bar service will be available throughout the day.
BESPOKE SMALL-SHIP AMENITIES
Returning from excursions, guests enjoy complimentary refreshments, afternoon tea and all-day coffee in The Club, a gracious space for relaxation, surrounded by panoramic windows. Before or after dinner, cocktails are served to live music performed by the ship’s pianist.
Other Corinthian II features include:
• Library with Internet access
• Lounge with audiovisual facilities
• Dining room
• Wraparound sun deck with Jacuzzi
• Exercise Room
• Beauty salon
• Medical facilities with available doctor
• Elevator serving all passenger decks
• Swimming platform
| Cabin Code | Cabin Description | Regular Rate | Special Savings Rate | Your Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E | Deluxe suites on Magellan Deck with portholes and sitting area. 225 sq. ft. | $8,695 | $6,995 | $1,700 |
| D | Deluxe suites on Columbus Deck with window and sitting area. 225 sq. ft. | $9,695 | $7,995 | $1,700 |
| C | Deluxe suites on Magellan Deck with portholes and sitting area. 235 sq. ft. | $10,695 | $8,995 | $1,700 |
| B | Deluxe suites on Columbus Deck with window and sitting area. 235 sq. ft. | $11,695 | $9,995 | $1,700 |
| A | Deluxe suites on Marco Polo Deck with window and sitting area. 235 sq. ft. | $12,695 | $10,995 | $1,700 |
| AA | Deluxe suites on Marco Polo Deck with forward and side windows and sitting area. 285 sq. ft. | $13,195 | $11,495 | $1,700 |
| VS | Deluxe Veranda Suites on Erickson Deck with private balcony and sitting area. 300 sq. ft. | $13,695 | $11,995 | $1,700 |
| PHS | Deluxe Penthouse Suites on Explorer Deck with private balcony and sitting area. 400 sq. ft. | $14,695 | $12,995 | $1,700 |
There is no single supplement for this voyage (Categories D-A) if you book by March 15, 2010.
AIRFARE: Airfare is not included in the cost of the program. Please call the Air Travel Desk at toll-free 877-711-9896 or 212-592-1340 to make your reservations, or see your travel agent.
Corinthian II Deck Plan
PROGRAM INCLUSIONS
- 10-night cruise aboard the all-suite, 114-guest Corinthian II
- Welcome and farewell cocktail receptions aboard ship
- All meals aboard ship, including house wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner
- Open bar aboard ship throughout the cruise
- Complete program of tours and excursions
- Educational program of lectures and discussions by accompanying guest lecturers
- Professional Travel Dynamics International tour staff
- Complete pre-departure materials
- Baggage handling and transfers abroad on the designated program departure and arrival dates
- Port and embarkation taxes
- Gratuities to porters, guides and drivers
Day 1
USA
Fly from the United States to Istanbul, Turkey.
Day 2
ISTANBUL, Turkey | EMBARK
Arrive in the minaret-graced metropolis of Istanbul and transfer to the port to embark Corinthian II. Set sail in the evening.
Day 3
CANAKKALE | TROY | CANAKKALE
From ancient Troy, by force expell’d, we came—If you by chance have heard the Trojan name.
Corinthian II docks at Canakkale, the gateway to Troy. The ruins of the ancient city where the prince Aeneas, son of Anchises and the goddess Venus, began his journey lie on a “wind-swept plain,” exactly as Homer described them in The Iliad. Explore the excavations that Heinrich Schliemann began in 1872 and that archaeologists have continued over the last century, which reveal nine cities superimposed in rings.
Day 4
DELOS | SYROS, Greece
An island in th’ Aegean main appears; Neptune and wat’ry Doris claim it theirs. It floated once, till Phoebus fix’d the sides To rooted earth, and now it braves the tides.
When Aeneas visited Delos, the oracle of Apollo and Artemis instructed him to settle in the land that was the original home of the Trojans. Visit the remains of Lions, where a series of ancient sculptures look out to sea. Sail to beautiful Syros, where we will enjoy a walking tour of the Old Town. Syros is divided into Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox districts, the streets lined with rival churches, monasteries, and cathedrals.
Day 5
RETHYMNON | KNOSSOS | RETHYMNON, Crete
‘All hands aloft! for Crete! for Crete!’ they cry, And swiftly thro’ the foamy billows fly. Full on the promis’d land at length we bore, With joy descending on the Cretan shore.
From Delos, Aeneas sailed to Crete, where his ancestors lived before they came to Troy. A plague on the island forced Aeneas and the other Trojan exiles to leave, but not before they realized that their real goal was Italy. From Rethymnon, travel to the partially reconstructed Palace at Knossos. The palace contains underground passageways where, legend has it, the Minotaur stalked his prey. Knossos’s corridors, stairways, and chambers are decorated with frescoes illustrating life as it was 4,000 years ago.
Day 6
PREVEZA | NIKOPOLIS | KASSOPE | PREVEZA
Aeneas’s fleet sailed along this shoreline on its way north. From the harbor at Preveza travel to Nikopolis, founded by Augustus in 31 B.C. to celebrate his victory over Mark Antony and Cleopatra. See the city walls, the theater, and the Roman basilica. Continue to the well-preserved ruins of Kassope, founded in the 4th century B.C.
Day 7
AT SEA | SYRACUSE, Sicily, Italy
And, wearied, on Cyclopian shores we run. The port capacious, and secure from wind, Is to the foot of thund’ring Aetna join’d.
After a day of cruising and lectures, arrive this evening in Syracuse, which once rivaled Athens as the most important city of the ancient world. Legend says that this area of Sicily was the home of the Cyclops, and like Odysseus, Aeneas made the mistake of going ashore.
Day 8
SYRACUSE
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, which contains an extensive collection of rare Sicilian artifacts.
Day 9
TUNIS | CARTHAGE | TUNIS, Tunisia
What pangs the tender breast of Dido tore, When, from the tow’r, she saw the cover’d shore, And heard the shouts of sailors from afar, Mix’d with the murmurs of the wat’ry war!
In Carthage, Aeneas won the love of Queen Dido. In order to continue his mission, Aeneas had no choice but to abandon her, thus begetting the centuries-long enmity between Carthage and Rome. Explore the ancient city, founded in the
9th century B.C., including such Phoenician sites as Tophet, the sanctuary of the gods Tanit and Baal, and some of the city’s many Roman sites, such as the Antonine Baths. Also tour the Bardo Museum, world-renowned for its spectacular collection of Roman mosaics.
Day 10
TRAPANI | ERICE | SEGESTA | TRAPANI, Sicily, Italy
To escape a storm sent by the vengeful goddess Juno, Aeneas and his followers took refuge in the harbor of Drepanum, the modern-day city of Trapani. From Trapani, a full-day excursion leads to the town of Erice, perched high on a hill, and Segesta, which stands in splendid isolation amid the mountainous countryside. According to legend, the parents of Aeneas—Anchises and the goddess Venus—were married in Erice. Today the town is one of Sicily’s loveliest medieval villages. Continue to Segesta to visit its majestic Doric temple and Greek theater.
Day 11
NAPLES | PHLEGREAN FIELDS | CUMAE | POMPEII or NATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM | NAPLES
As many voices issue, and the sound Of Sybil’s words as many times rebound. Now to the mouth they come. Aloud she cries: “This is the time; enquire your destinies. He comes; behold the god!”
This morning, Corinthian II sails into the glorious Bay of Naples. Disembark and travel to the Phlegrean Fields, where the Sibyl guided Aeneas into the Underworld. There, Aeneas met the spirit of his father, Anchises, and saw the souls of great Romans yet to be born, including Augustus Caesar. Then visit the Cave of the Cumaean Sybil and see the remains of ancient oracles, also in the cave. In the afternoon, travel to fabled Pompeii, the city both buried and preserved by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79. Alternatively, visit the National Archaeological Museum, which houses a world-renowned collection of antiquities.
Day 12
CIVITAVECCHIA | DISEMBARK | ROME | USA