A Summer School by the Department of Philology, Division of Classics, University of Crete

Key information
Dates: June 21–27, 2026
Location: “Xenia” Student Cultural Center, University of Crete (Rethymnon, Crete, Greece)
Language: English B2+ required
Fee: 550€ (includes accommodation, meals, official dinner, and site visits)
Deadline for applications: March 10, 2026
Apply (Google Form): https://forms.gle/AHS9z2xrApKVTbsB9
Upload: CV and motivation letter
Contact (questions, technical issues, etc.): summerschool.classics@uoc.gr
Full call: https://philology.uoc.gr/uploads/CretePastAndPresent2026-description.pdf

Overview
Right at the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, on the crossroads of the trading routes that connect Southern Europe with North Africa and the Near East, Crete developed a marvelous civilization in the Bronze Age. The island’s rich history and culture exercise an enduring fascination.
The Summer School in Classics at the University of Crete offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in Cretan culture and history while enjoying the island’s stunning beauty. It includes the study of ancient literary texts, organized visits to major archaeological sites, and group activities in a multicultural environment.
This year’s summer school is entitled “Receptions of Crete”. Through complementary courses, participants will examine how the island’s archaeological sites and landscapes, myths and legends, and literary traditions have been represented and reinterpreted from antiquity to the present in film, drama, poetry, and music. Together, the courses offer a rich and multifaceted journey into the creative afterlives of Crete’s most iconic stories. Our guest speaker, Professor Costas Panayotakis, who teaches Classics at the University of Glasgow, will give two sessions on “The Labyrinth and its Receptions” and on “Crete in the Roman Literary Imagination”. In addition, the school will include a half-day hands-on seminar by the TALOS Lab on AI and Classical Reception Studies titled "Looking for Europa (mal du pays)”.

Program highlights:
—Minoan Palaces, Labyrinth, Old Town & Archaeological Museum of Rethymnon
—Cretan myths, Crete in film
—Crete in Roman literature, Greek symposium, Eleutherna site visit
—AI workshop, Erotokritos sessions
—Knossos and Archaeological Museum of Heraklion excursion

Instructors
Athena Kavoulaki (University of Crete), Alexander Katsigiannis (University of Crete), Panayiota Mini (University of Crete), Stelios Panayotakis (University of Crete), Maria Papadopoulou (University of Crete, Talos Lab) & Rafail Giannadakis (Talos Lab), Dimos Spatharas (University of Crete), Georgia Tsouni (University of Crete)

Guest instructor
Costas Panayotakis (University of Glasgow)

Organizing Committee
Stelios Panayotakis, Zacharoula Petraki, Georgia Tsouni