Submitted by Allison Maiorano on the 2016 winter session program in Athens, Greece sponsored by the Department of Philosophy…
I was doubtful that our first field trip would compare to standing beside the massive Parthenon or experiencing Athenian life, but to my pleasant surprise, I was wrong. As our coach bus approached the Monastery yesterday, the mountainous terrain astounded me. The high peaks covered in snow and the low valleys converging into bowls showed great contrast, and I couldn’t help but gaze longingly. The Monastery reminded me of my Roman Catholic upbringing which I have not revisited in quite a while. Our guide recounted to us the history of the Greek Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church’s separation, and I reflected on how it seems as though history, once again, has been written by the winners; I did not know that the Greek Orthodox Church had originated first and that the Roman Catholic Church has set tenuous boundaries between the two. I enjoyed learning about this perspective, and it gave me a more accurate understanding of the origins of both religions.
The cold strained our trip to Thebes quite considerably, and at first, I was not sure that I could endure such conditions while we stood on the mountain and listened to the history of the site. However, after most of the group retired, a group of us made the hike to the top of the site so that we could see the stadium. Once we were on the move, the excursion seemed much more bearable, and I felt accomplished as I stood at such great heights. We later visited the museum, got lunch, and boarded the bus for our return to Athens.