Department of Philology – University of Crete | June 15–21, 2025
The Summer School in Classics: Crete Past and Present, organized for the second time by the Division of Classical Studies (Department of Philology, University of Crete), was successfully completed on Saturday, June 21, 2025, in Rethymno.
This year’s theme, “Crete on Stage”, explored the ancient theatre in Crete and Crete in ancient theatre, through a rich blend of academic instruction and experiential learning. The program adopted an interdisciplinary approach, combining the study of ancient texts and inscriptions with exploration of Crete’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage.
The Summer School was held entirely in English, lasting seven days (June 15–21), and hosted 16 students of all academic levels from around the world, including participants from:
- Europe: Edinburgh, Glasgow, Southampton, Warwick, Kent, Sorbonne, Prague
- USA: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- China: Yan’an University, Renmin University
- Australia: University of Sydney
Teaching took place at the Student Cultural Centre “Xenia” in the town of Rethymno. The program also included educational excursions to archaeological sites and museums in Rethymno and Heraklion — including Aptera, Lyttos, Knossos, and the Archaeological Museums of Chania and Heraklion.
Highlights of this year’s edition included:
- Guest lectures by Prof. Kostas Panayotakis (University of Glasgow), who delivered talks on Roman theatre and led a workshop on material culture related to Roman drama.
- A guided visit to an active excavation at ancient Lyttos, led by Prof. Antonis Kotsonas (New York University), offering students first-hand insight into field archaeology.
Organizing Committee
Stelios Panayotakis
Zacharoula Petraki
Georgia Tsouni
