Standing in front of the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion

Author: Ella Scurlock | Majors: History, Anthropology | Semester: Summer 2023

Late in June 2023 after a full day of flying, a layover in Philly, and a whole semester of preparing, I touched down in Athens, Greece. I found my transportation to the dorms after navigating the airport, and from there a few other students and I headed through the outskirts of Athens to get our first glance of the city. When I saw the city for the first time, I knew I had made the right choice in coming to Greece, but I did not know the extent to which Athens and my time there would inspire and motivate me on my academic and professional journey. I wish I could say I was completely focused on my academics while I was there, but the life of the city and its culture was equally as fascinating to experience. The time I spent studying history this summer in Athens is one I will not easily forget.

Metope of the Annunciation, taken at the Acropolis Museum in Athens

While there, I studied ancient Athenian art history at the Deree College of The American College of Greece. The class I took was called ‘Aspects of Greek Art in Athens,’ and though I wish we would have covered a larger period of history, I really enjoyed the class. We explored art of the Attica area from the Archaic Period to the Classical Period of Greece, all while learned the history of the area and the social implications behind the art. Our professor was wonderful, as she connected the origins of the art works and styles to the political and cultural history of Athens. As a class, we went to both the National Archaeological Museum and the Acropolis Museum, and we were able to discuss pieces while seeing them in person. I have always enjoyed art, but I never considered studying art history until I took this class. Much of the art we discussed depicted mythological scenes, so we talked a lot about the religious practices of the ancient Greeks as well. I really enjoyed this aspect of the class because Prof. Drakaki explained how this art, particularly the art of the Parthenon, was repurposed in the Christian era. One photo I took shows an original Parthenon relief I was able to see in person that survived in very good condition: because the scene of goddesses Hebe and Hera resembled the Annunciation of Mary, the newly Christian city decided to keep it when they rebranded. Alongside learning about ancient religion in class, the influence of Greek Orthodox Christianity on the city was evident in the architecture. Byzantine era churches are everywhere, and I got to look inside a few and take in the art. The era of the Byzantine Empire is incredibly interesting to me, and I was able to explore the dynamic of that period’s religious context in and outside of class while studying in Athens. Because of the class and what I was able to learn while in Greece, I was able to narrow down my focus in my history major and religious studies minor to this period and place in history.

Though I loved learning about ancient history, my favorite part of my whole experience was the neighborhood we lived in for the month. East of the Acropolis by 25-ish minutes, the Agia Paraskevi area in Athens is home to ACG, a number of shops and restaurants, and many residential buildings and houses, including the complex we stayed in. We had easy access to public transportation, namely the buses and the metro, that could take us anywhere in the Attica area, even from coast to coast (having only lived in small towns in Arkansas, this is revolutionary to me). Even still, our neighborhood was the best to be in. There were always people walking around in the day and even more people hanging out at night. My partner Emily, also from Uark, and our friend from the program would spend many nights sitting in the park, playing cards, and enjoying the energy of people of all ages just hanging out. Of course, there were many restaurants in the area, and dinner in Greece is not to be forgotten. I had some of the best meals of my life this past month at almost every restaurant we went to. There were a few places around the neighborhood that I really loved eating at, but any time that the resident director of AIFS took us on a weekend or after class excursion, we were taken to a traditional Greek restaurant for a many-course meal, with plates upon plates of Greek cuisine being brought out for us to eat. Our resident director, Alice, often told us that we needed to save room before one of these meals, and she was right every time.

This program turned out to be really wonderful! Our RA was wonderful, and she even planned several trips for us to concerts and on boat rides during our stay that weren’t planned by the program. If you want to be fully immersed into Greek culture, I highly recommend this program. From the many day trips taking us around Attica, to the lively neighborhood, I felt at home very quickly. My main advice for anyone studying abroad in Athens is to figure out public transportation off the bat. The metro and buses saved my life moving around the city. There are reloadable cards you can get at stations call Athena cards; purchasing a long-term pass is the simplest way to get around the city quickly and cheaply. Along that same note, do not feel pressured to spend hundreds on ferry tickets to see the islands every weekend; there is plenty to do in the city and around it. My last piece of advice would be to go with the flow, especially for people who have never been outside the country before. The social norms will be different, and it is best to follow the crowd when moving around town. Other than that, I wish all future study abroad students safe travels, and I hope to see more Uark students in Athens!