Every summer, millions of people leave behind offices, schools and daily routines for beaches, islands, mountains and cities far from home. The annual summer vacation feels like one of the most familiar features of modern life. Yet the desire to step away from ordinary obligations in search of rest, culture, health or simply a change of scenery has roots stretching back thousands of years.
The ancient Greeks and Romans did not have summer vacations in the modern sense. There were no annual paid-leave packages, package holidays or budget airlines. But long before the modern tourism industry, people were traveling for religious festivals, athletic competitions, healing, education and leisure.
Ancient Greeks Were Already Traveling for Culture and Leisure
In ancient Greece, major sanctuaries drew visitors from across the Greek world. Delphi, home to the famous Oracle of Apollo, became a major religious center visited by pilgrims seeking guidance from the Pythia.
Olympia, meanwhile, attracted athletes and spectators to the Olympic Games, which were held every four years beginning in 776 BC. The site was not simply a sports venue. It was a major religious, political and social center, with accommodation and facilities serving those who traveled there.
Travel could also be connected with health. At the Sanctuary of Asklepios at Epidaurus, visitors came seeking healing through rituals and treatments associated with the god of medicine. The sanctuary included baths, accommodation, sports facilities and other structures serving those who arrived from beyond the immediate region.
These journeys were not vacations as we understand them today. They were often tied to religion, health, politics or major cultural events. But they established something recognizable to any modern traveler: leaving home for an experience found somewhere else.
The Roman Art of Getting Away
The Romans developed their own culture of leisure, expressed in the idea of otium—time spent away from public duties and the pressures of work.
For wealthy Romans, this could mean escaping the heat, crowds and politics of Rome for villas in the countryside or along the coast. The Bay of Naples, with places such as Pompeii, Herculaneum and nearby coastal resorts, became particularly associated with elite leisure.
Roman roads and sea routes also made travel across the Mediterranean more accessible, at least for those with sufficient money and freedom to travel. Greece itself became a destination for Romans interested in philosophy, art, history and famous ancient sites.
Still, leisure travel remained largely a privilege. A Roman senator retreating to a coastal villa had little in common with the modern employee booking a two-week holiday.
The Modern Vacation Is a Much Newer Idea
The summer vacation as most people know it today emerged much later.
Industrialization transformed both work and leisure. As cities grew and factory schedules became increasingly rigid, time away from work became a political and social issue. Railways made travel faster and more affordable, while seaside resorts and organized tourism expanded during the 19th century.
The decisive change came with the growth of shorter working hours and paid holidays. According to research published in The Oxford Handbook of Tourism History, the introduction of paid holidays during the interwar period helped democratize travel and laid important foundations for modern mass tourism. Postwar economic growth then allowed growing numbers of people to afford commercial holidays and international travel.
In other words, ancient people traveled for leisure, healing and culture, but the right of ordinary workers to take paid time off was a much more recent development.
From Ancient Travelers to Modern Greece
Few countries illustrate that long history better than Greece.
Ancient visitors traveled to Delphi, Olympia and Epidaurus for reasons ranging from religion and athletics to health and cultural experience. Today, millions of visitors arrive for many of the same broad reasons: history, culture, landscapes and the experience of being somewhere different.
Greece now has 21 properties on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, including ancient sites such as Delphi, Olympia, the Acropolis and Epidaurus.
The modern Greek summer holiday, of course, is a very different experience from an ancient pilgrimage or journey to the Olympic Games. Ferries replace ancient ships, hotels have replaced most forms of traditional accommodation, and a flight can bring travelers from another continent in hours.
But the basic impulse remains remarkably familiar.
Related: Ancient Greeks Traveled a Lot, Even Used Clay ‘Passports’
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