Recommended Reading

Troy

Author: Geras, Adele
Publisher: New York, Harcourt, Inc., 2002

In Troy, Adele Geras presents the siege of Troy through the eyes of Xanthe, a young servant girl who works in the Blood Room caring for wounded soldiers.  She is also nursemaid to Astryanax, son of Andromache and Hector. Xanthe uses her soothing, healing powers tending to. . . More >> -- review by Judith Malone Neville.

The Penelopiad

Author: Atwood, Margaret
Illustrator (Cover): Nina Chakrabarti
Publisher: Canongate 2005

Penelope, wife of Odysseus, has long been viewed as a clever and faithful spouse. In The Odyssey, she manages the vast estates on Ithaca, raises her son Telemachus alone, keeps numerous suitors at bay, and remains true to Odysseus during the twenty years of his absence. In The Penelopiad . . . More >> -- review by Judith Malone Neville.

Featured Study Guide

The Odyssey in PowerPoint — A 9th Grade English Project

By Elizabeth Craig-Olins, English Teacher, Newton North High School, Newton Public Schools, Newton, MA, 1999 ExL Greek Study Fellow

For all the budding producers in your classroom, this study guide has it all: oral storytelling, interpretive reading, study of the Odyssey, visual interpretation, research, writing, vocal interpretation, music appreciation, graphic design, fine art, and multimedia design and production. It's a fantastic and challenging 2-part project — one part writing assignment, one part visual assignment — that involves a variety of activities and learning experiences that take students from reading and studying the Odyssey, to researching and writing about mythological gods or characters, and culminates with students putting it all together in interactive educational PowerPoint presentations designed to teach others what they've learned. Check it out.

For a complete list of Study Guides, click here >>.

Photo Archive

"Animalia" — this category highlights the use of animal iconography and symbolism in the art of ancient Greece. The photos display a variety of works, from paintings to sculpture to mosaics. The Photo Gallery is a visual resource that you can use in your classroom or in class projects, for FREE!

To view the Photo Gallery, click here >>

Useful Words and Phrases

Going to Greece on an ExL Study Tour? Just want to be more friendly with folks at your favorite Greek eatery? Here are some useful Greek words and phrases:

• YIA-sou — Hello, goodbye (general greeting)
• Ef-ha-ri-STO — Thank you
• Ka-li-MER-a — Good morning
• Pa-ra-ka-LO — Please
• Ne-RO, pa-ra-ka-LO — Water, please
• En-DA-xi — Everything’s okay
• Ti KA-nis? — How are you?
• Ka-LA, ef-ha-ri-STO, — Fine, thank you
• Kai-e-SIS? — And you?

In The News (News Archive >>)

Music — Internet Radio

Radio Thalassa is a Greek Internet Radio Service that was founded in '03 and that webcasts "Live-DJ-Sets."

The format is primarily contemporary and traditional folk music. The station broadcasts 24 hours a day. You can access it a number of ways, including iTunes, RealMedia. Visit their website at http://www.radiothalassa.gr/ and treat yourself to a great listening experience!

Musicians — Mavrothi Kontanis

Mavrothi Kontanis is a singer, songwriter, and musician -- a master of the traditional Greek stringed instrument known as the oud. You can read about him and (even better!) listen to samples of his music on his website, http://www.mtkontanis-music.com/. For gigs, check out Mavrothi's concert calendar on MySpace at: http://www.myspace.com/maeandros.

TV — The Ancient World with Bettany Hughes

A season of Hellenic-themed films is in progress on British television. "The Ancient World with Bettany Hughes" is a series of episodes presenting great achievements of the ancient world, hosted by Bettany Hughes, a historian, author and broadcaster.

The first episode was on Alexandria - to be followed by documentaries on Egypt, the Minoans, Helen of Troy, the Spartans, Athens and the Moors in Europe. For those who do not have access to British television, each episode will be available on line, after it airs on television. (Please note, we have not been able to successfully access the online version, Ed.)

Art — Museum of Greek Children's Art

The Museum of Greek Children’s Art, founded in 1987, is a non-profit association, with the purpose of promoting education and culture. 

The museum displays paintings as well as artwork created by children aged 4 to 14, and it offers many exciting workshops for every season. The current exhibition, currently on display until July 23, is "Hand in hand with Miro," presenting paintings and three-dimensional artwork by children aged 5 to 13 years old.

Archaeology — Acropolis Gateway

Recently, the Greek Ministry of Culture announced that the restoration project of Propylaea – the roof over the gateway to the Acropolis - has been completed.

After a seven-year project, all the scaffolding has been removed and now the visitor can admire the monument’s splendor.

The Propylaea were erected in 437-432 BC after the completion of the Parthenon, as part of the great Periklean building and were designed by the architect Mnesicles.

A monument of the Doric order with few Ionic columns, Propylaea was a complex structure to conceive and assemble, and was clearly designed to make a lasting impression on the approaching visitor.

The words Gnothi Sauton mean "Know Thyself" and were inscribed on the sacred Temple of Apollo in Delphi, Greece. Striking in simplicity, they call forth from each of us the courage to think reflectively about ourselves and our times.

The Examined Life program brings teachers from all disciplines and grade levels together with faculty members from colleges and universities for the common purpose of strengthening Greek studies in the schools. The program encompasses opportunities for professional development, including graduate courses, a study tour of Greece, workshops, the creation of resources for teaching about Greek civilization, books and bibliographies, and ongoing discussions about how to integrate knowledge of the Greek world into the curricula.

Now in its eleventh year, the ExL program is impacting 50 schools, 12 school districts, 200 teachers, and thousands of students in the greater Boston area. We welcome you to the website, and invite you to join us in our mission to strengthen knowledge and consciousness of ancient Greece — and modern Greece as well — in classrooms and school communities across the nation.

—Barbara Harrison, Director
The Examined Life