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Tales from ancient empires

A Mediterranean cruise reveals a world of forgotten history
January 13, 2014
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By Alyssa Tremblay

It’s a very small world out there.

For Suzanne and Jim Leworthy, S BComm 66, that reminder came an ocean away from their London, Ontario, home when they stumbled upon the Concordia Temple in Agrigento, Sicily.

Suzanne and Jim Leworthy, S BComm 66, in front of the Concordia Temple. Located in the Valley of Temples in Agrigento, Sicily, the Concordia Temple was built around 5-6 BC. Suzanne and Jim Leworthy, S BComm 66, before the Concordia Temple, built 5-6 BC, located in the Valley of Temples in Agrigento, Sicily. | All photos: Jim Leworthy

It was a perfect coincidence, as Suzanne and Jim were in Europe on the Voyage of Ancient Empires trip organized by the Concordia University Alumni Travel Program.

Landing in Rome on Oct. 2, the husband and wife duo sailed along the Italian coast and down to the islands of Sicily and Malta to visit the relics of civilizations long gone, including the ill-fated city of Pompeii.

“Pompeii was fascinating. Only two-thirds of the city is excavated and it seems to go on for miles," said Suzanne.

However the bulk of the antiquities they saw were found in Sicily, which came as a surprise to the couple.

"I really hadn't known that there was so such Greek history in that area. Just looking at the number and the size of theatres they had in Sicily was amazing," said Jim.

The Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, where they found the Concordia Temple, proved to be the highlight of their trip.

Floor mosaic in Pompeii A mosaic is visible on the floor of a home in the excavated ruins of Pompeii, a city buried by volcanic ash after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.

“I had never seen anything like it,” Suzanne explained. “It was just one incredible temple after another, laid out below you. I was amazed at how excavated they were. With something like this you just don't get the full experience by looking at gorgeous pictures. You really have to be there to get the full wallop.”

While people aren’t allowed inside the Concordia Temple, Jim said the ruins were in pretty good shape and the structure was clearly styled after the Parthenon in Athens. The mix-matched architecture reflected the different occupations and culture influences over Sicily’s history.

"There was a church there with four different influences: Greek, Roman, Arabic, and Christianity. They just keep on adding to it,” said Suzanne.

"We could really see each of the periods: the columns from when it was Greek, the Muslim decor on the outside,” said Jim.

On top of discovering the best slice of pizza he’d ever tasted in Sorrento, Jim found the whole trip fascinating because it filled in a lot of historical blanks about how that area of the world developed. Even the small island of Malta surprised him with its rich past.

The Cathedral in Siracusa, Sicily The Cathedral in Siracusa, Sicily, originally the Greek temple of Athena, has been reconfigured to suit different religions over time. The exterior side wall shows original Greek Doric columns and Muslim architectural influences.

“It's a country that has been taken by just about every civilization through history. There are ruins there that actually pre-date the pyramids and Stonehenge!” Jim said.

This was the couple’s third trip with the Alumni Travel Program — the first took them far south to Antarctica and the second to Moscow and St. Petersburg in Russia. Picking a favourite between the three adventures is impossible, Suzanne said.

“It’s hard to rank them because they’re all so unique,” she explained. “Each one was good for different reasons.”

Antarctica, for example, was “the trip of a lifetime” for her. For Jim, Russia served as an eye-opener for someone who lived through the Cold War era.

So where’s the next destination for these avid travellers? The Leworthys hinted that they’ve been looking into the China and the Yangtze River trip, one of the many packages organized by the Alumni Travel Program for 2014.

“China has never been on my top 10 list, but going with the alumni gang would make it interesting,” said Suzanne.

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