Were There Vacations in Ancient Greece?
To answer this question, we first need to define: what is a vacation? By formal definition, it is a “specific trip or journey for the purpose of recreation or tourism.” The essential idea is to take a break from work and to leave town. In its current form, the vacation is a fairly new idea. In the days of Ancient Greece, the average family didn’t take vacations. Why would you leave the safety of your city-state to travel into a dangerous territory, potentially risking your life? There was not much disposable income, and often other factors got in the way. Poor weather, pirates, and the possibility of shipwreck meant that death was a real possibility if you wanted to go on vacation.
The Only "Safe" Vacation: The Ancient Olympics
The Ancient Olympics were one of the most important events in the ancient Greek world for over one thousand years, from 776 BC to 390 AD. They originally featured only a few events: Running, jumping, throwing, boxing, wrestling, pankration, and chariot racing. The Ancient Olympics were a huge deal. Citizens from all over the Greek empire came, which sometimes meant traveling from modern-day Germany, France, Libya, and Spain. One of the reasons for the popularity was not just the sporting events, but also the food. Usually, meat was on the menu for the viewers, which was rare for the common Greek citizen of the time. In the case that city-states were at war (which was often true), temporary access was allowed for travelers to pass through to the Olympics. For many Greeks (up to 50,000 at the height of the event’s popularity), the travel was worth it.
Travel During the Roman Empire
In Greece during the rise of the Roman Empire, traveling became more popular because of how large the Roman Empire was. You could travel a long distance always while feeling you were in a “safe” land. Travel was also easier in Roman times because of the extensive road network the Romans built. At its height, the road covered the distance from Portugal to Turkey. Still, vacations during this period weren’t exactly like they were today, likely covering shorter distances. In Ancient Rome, travel for leisure was more common for the rich.
History & Culture
