The Skeptics Society & Skeptic magazine

IN SEARCH OF HOMER
June 5–16, 2025

A Voyage Exploring Greece of the Iliad and the Odyssey

Dear Friends,

Perhaps no works have exerted more influence in the Western literary tradition than Homer’s epic poems of the Iliad and the Odyssey. Written in the 8^th century BC, when writing was becoming more widespread in Greece, the two ageless poems stem from a much older oral poetic tradition, and describe events that took place some 400 years before they were first written down. The earlier period they refer to is the heroic age of the Bronze Age, the time when the Mycenaean civilization flourished in Greece, from about 1600 BC to about 1200 BC.

The Iliad is set during the Trojan War, the siege of the powerful and wealthy city of Troy by a coalition of Greek cities led by Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae. One of the main protagonists in the siege that lasted for ten years was god-like Achilles. The cause of the war was to reclaim Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world and wife of Menelaus, the king of Sparta and brother of Agamemnon, who had eloped with Paris, the Trojan prince, and sailed to Troy. The Odyssey is the famous story of the Greek hero Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, and the ten years he spent wandering in the Mediterranean striving to return home.

map of the route

Having Homer as our guide on this journey we will explore places that figure prominently in the two epic poems, ancient cities that attained prominence in the Bronze Age Mycenaean world. Included are Athens, Mycenae, Tiryns, Epidaurus, Sparta, Pylos, Olympia, where the famed games started at about the same time Homer set the poems to writing, and the islands of Cephalonia and Ithaca, the fabled home of Odysseus. But more than just visiting and learning about these places, we will examine the themes and human values that Homer is talking about, themes and values that have made the Iliad and the Odyssey as relevant today as they were 3,000 years ago.

Emily Wilson
Professor of Classical Studies, University of Pennsylvania, and award-winning translator of the Iliad and the Odyssey

We are pleased to have Emily Wilson, the MacArthur Fellow and Guggenheim Fellowship winner, and award-winning translator of both the Odyssey and the Iliad as our special guest lecturer for this travel-learning adventure. Her lectures and discussions will add meaning and content to our journey.

We hope you will join us on this adventure that will enrich as much the spirit as the senses.

Warm regards,
Dr. Michael Shermer

Executive Director, Skeptics Society

8% of your cruise fee will be a tax-deductible donation to The Skeptics Society — a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Optional Extension

For those interested, an optional 2-day extension to Athens will be available. Arrangements will include accommodations at a deluxe hotel, tours of the city’s main ancient monuments, a lunch and a dinner at local restaurants, and hotel/airport transfer.

Itinerary, Rates, Inclusions

For a detailed, day-to-day itinerary, rates, and inclusions, please download and share with family and friends the complete 8-page Expedition Brochure (PDF):

Download the complete Expedition Brochure