Smithsonian Journeys Experts

Bella Vivante, Professor Emerita of Classics, University of Arizona, has eagerly led college age and adult learners on many study tours through Turkey and Greece. She delights in repeatedly seeing the fantastic ancient to modern sites and artifacts herself and in sharing her enthusiasm with other interested learners. Her research focuses on ancient Greek poetry, especially Homer, ancient women's' ritual and cultural roles, and on the figure of Helen as icon of femininity and poetic creation in ancient Greek and modern poetry. Her publications include: "Helen in 20th c. Films," Daughters of Gaia: Women in the Ancient Mediterranean, and a translation of Euripides' Helen in Women on the Edge: Four Plays by Euripides. Bella looks forward to sharing her love for the ancient world with its cultural artifacts and for the modern peoples and cultures encountered during her travels.