Siracusa Summer Seminar
July 27-August 7, 2026 Details to be announced
The ability to navigate Greek texts enhances our understanding of ancient philosophy and reveals its hidden treasures. Exedra’s “Greek for Philosophers” courses, organised with the Fonte Aretusa association, provide opportunities for scholars of philosophy to cultivate their language skills and engage with the ancient texts, whether they have studied Greek before or not.
2025 SIRACUSA SUMMER SEMINAR ON PLATO’S THEAETETUS
The Siracusa Summer Seminar combines instruction in Ancient Greek at different levels with discussion of Plato’s Theaetetus, and the opportunity to present papers or posters on relevant topics.
Mornings are free for swimming in the sea, jogging around the island, or optional archeological visits and cultural activities.
Afternoons are dedicated to classes, discussions and presentations.
Evening discussions can be continued at Ortigia’s many bars and restaurants. Instruction is offered at three levels and some financial aid is available.
Participants study on the picturesque island of Ortigia, where they can visit ancient Greek temples, cycle in the sunshine or swim in the sea, and experience the Mediterranean lifestyle.
Summer Seminar
The 2025 seminar dedicated to Plato’s Theaetetus will be held at Exedra’s home in Palazzo Francica Nava, Ortigia, the historic centre of Siracusa.
Skill Levels: Participants are separated by Ancient Greek language skill level for the 3-5 PM sessions, then come together each afternoon for the presentations and discussion to follow.
- Level 1 (beginner): Studies Learning Greek with Plato, I
- Level 2 (intermediate): Studies Learning Greek with Plato, II
- Level 3 (advanced): Studies the Greek text directly
Presentations: Participants wishing to present papers on the seminar topic are invited to submit abstracts of up to 300 words for consideration when they register. This is not required unless you are also applying for financial aid.
Fees and Housing: Students pay a program fee, which covers tuition, activities, refreshments, welcome aperitivo, and farewell dinner. Housing is not included but a variety of options, including Exedra’s own student residence, are available on the island of Ortigia. Sponsorships/bursaries covering all or part of the course fees and housing are available on a competitive basis.
Main Features
Agrigento
The best way to understand the genius of Plato’s works is to study them in the Greek. The Summer Seminar combines instruction in Ancient Greek at beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels, and presentations on topics related to the text of the seminar.
The 2025 Summer Seminar focuses on Plato’s Theaetetus and the original text will be translated in the advanced group. Participants usually prepare translations of short passages in advance and then present them in class, followed by open discussion. The aim is to develop skills navigating the original Greek and to discuss the content in a relaxed and friendly environment.
The translation and discussion will be led by Dr George Gazis and Prof. Heather Reid.
The two grammar classes will be held by Dr Chiara Blanco and Dr Jurgen Gatt.
COSTS
Course costs include tuition, welcome aperitivo and farewell dinner, refreshments, and activities listed in course description.
A fidelity discount will be applied to returning students who have attended one of the Exedra Greek for Philosophers courses.
ONE WEEK 499 euros – Early Bird and Fidelity fee (before April 15, 2025)
ONE WEEK 549 euros – regular fee (after April 15, 2025)
TWO WEEKS 980 euros – Early Bird and Fidelity fee (before April 15, 2025)
TWO WEEKS 1050 euros – regular fee (after April 15, 2025)
After you submit the registration form, you will be sent an email asking to confirm your choices and then a pro-forma PayPal invoice for the course fees at the email you have registered, and instructions on how to pay. Your place will be considered confirmed on receipt of payment.
The seminar will run with a minimum of 6 participants per level.
Places are limited and will be filled on a “first paid, first served” basis.
For more information contact Susi Kimbell at skimbell@exedramc.co
FINANCIAL AID AND REGISTRATION
Deadlines:
April 15 2025 (financial aid);
May 15 2025 (early abstracts);
July 1 2025 (final abstracts & registration)
Thanks to some generous sponsors, we have some financial aid which can cover the tuition fees fully or partially, or cover accommodation costs fully or partially. Your application for aid will be considered if you submit an abstract for a presentation during the workshop and if it is made by 15th April 2025.
Submitting an abstract for presentation is not required, unless you are applying for financial aid.
ACCOMMODATION
Accommodation is not included in the course cost, but Exedra will suggest some convenient and economic options for participants.
If you have any questions, please contact info@exedramc.com.
What is the target audience?
Our Ancient Greek for Philosophers courses are designed for anyone with an interest in ancient Greek, but particularly for those who have approached Greek through an interest in ancient philosophy.
The Siracusa Summer Seminar includes two levels of Greek language instruction (Beginners, Intermediate) and an advanced reading group for those with a more advanced knowledge of the language and interests in issues of translation and the subtleties of Plato’s language.
2025 Seminar weekly outline (draft)
28 July – Welcome breakfast and Ortigia tour / Afternoon classes 3.00pm – 7pm / Welcome apericena
29 July – Neapolis Archaeological Park / Afternoon Classes – Refreshments / Presentation(s)
30 July – Morning Cooking Class and lunch / Afternoon Classes – Refreshments / Presentation(s)
31 July – Morning Medieval Ortigia / Afternoon Classes – Refreshments / Presentation(s)
1 August – Free morning / Afternoon Classes – Refreshments / Presentations / Farewell dinner
2 August – Day trip TBD
3 August – free day
4 August – Welcome breakfast and Ortigia tour / Afternoon classes 3.00pm – 7pm / Welcome apericena
5 August – Paolo Orsi Archaeological Museum / Afternoon Classes – Refreshments / Presentation(s)
6 August – Morning Cooking Class and lunch / Afternoon Classes – Refreshments / Presentation(s)
7 August – Morning Catacombs of S. Lucia / Afternoon Classes – Refreshments / Presentation(s)
8 August – Free morning / Afternoon Classes – Refreshments / Presentations / Farewell dinner
Course Instructors
Prof. Heather Reid
Emeritus Professor of Philosophy
Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa USA
Scholar in Residence at Exedra Mediterranean Center in Siracusa, Sicily, she is a 2015 Fellow of the American Academy in Rome, 2018 Fellow of Harvard’s Center for Hellenic Studies, and 2019 Fulbright Scholar at the Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II.
She has also published books and articles in ancient philosophy, philosophy of sport, and Olympic Studies, including Introduction to the Philosophy of Sport (2012), Athletics and Philosophy in the Ancient World (2011), and The Philosophical Athlete (2002, 2nd ed. 2019).
Dr George Gazis
Associate Professor
Department of Classics and Ancient History
Durham University
His main research interests lie in Archaic Greek Epic and Lyric in general, Plato and the Early Academy, and Athenian drama.
He is especially interested in the function of mortality and the afterlife in the Homeric Epics, early Lyric (especially Stesichorus, Pindar and Bacchylides), and the Platonic afterlife narratives. He is the editor of the volumes Aspects of Death and the Afterlife in Greek Literature (LUP, 2021), and Homer in Sicily (Parnassos Press, 2023). He is currently preparing an edition of the pseudo-epigraphic Letters of Euripides, while also working on his second monograph Ghosts on Stage: Spectres, Spectacles and Alternative Memories in Athenian Drama which focuses on a cognitive interpretation of the phenomenology of the tragic stage and the ways in which it influenced the reception of tragic plays by the early Athenian audiences.
Furthermore, George is interested in the study of the Bronze Age in the Aegean and the Near East particularly in the study of material culture alongside the Linear B records as a gateway for the reconstruction of the socio-economic system of the Mycenaean civilisation.
Dr Jurgen Gatt
Assistant Lecturer, University of Malta.
Dr Jurgen R Gatt is researching late 5th century literature, especially the Hippocratic Corpus, the orators Antiphon, Gorgias and Andocides, and the historians Herodotus and Thucydides. His interest lies in the use of evidence (especially empirical and testimonial) in the pre-paradigmatic era of scientific development represented in these texts, also logic, the philosophy of science and epistemology, particularly the philosophy of testimony.
Dr Chiara Blanco
Lecturer in Classics, Newcastle University
Dr. Chiara Blanco is a Lecturer in Classics at Newcastle University, having been a teaching fellow at the University of Edinburgh. She was a Research Lecturer in Classics at Trinity College, Oxford and previously a Lecturer in Classics at Exeter College, Oxford, at Durham University and the University of Cambridge, where she completed her PhD.
Her main research interests lie in the intersections between ancient literature (Greek tragedy in particular) and medicine, and she is also interested in the role of the senses and emotions in Greek and Roman culture.