Students from across Greece and Spain will travel to the Greek island of Chios in September for a six-day cultural and educational gathering dedicated to Homer and the enduring legacy of the Iliad and the Odyssey.
The fifth nationwide youth meeting, “Young Homeridae,” will take place from September 14 to 19, bringing together school groups for performances, music, visual arts, literary activities, and excursions inspired by the Homeric tradition.
Rather than treating the ancient epics solely as classroom texts, the program aims to introduce young participants to Homer through direct cultural experiences while exploring the influence of his works on literature and the arts across the centuries.
Students from Greece and Spain gather around Homer on Chios
Interest in the 2026 edition has been substantial. Twenty-three schools submitted applications from communities across Greece, including Crete, Lesvos, Attica, Thessaly, Macedonia, Zakynthos, and Ithaca.
IES Ramón Arcas Meca in Lorca, Spain, has also applied to participate, adding an international dimension to the gathering. The applications represent 371 students and 57 teachers, bringing the total number of prospective participants to 428. Organizers expect the final program to include nine selected visiting student groups, two reserve groups, and four groups from schools on Chios.
The initiative is open to secondary school students from Greece, Cyprus, and Greek schools abroad, as well as foreign schools that offer programs related to the Greek language. Organizers say the broader goal is to introduce young people to the foundations of Western literary tradition while encouraging them to examine the lasting influence of the Homeric poems on literature, theater, music, and other forms of artistic expression.
Taking Homer beyond the classroom
The gathering will extend far beyond lectures and conventional academic presentations. Students will participate in theatrical and musical events at the Homerion Cultural Center and at Daskalopetra, one of the locations traditionally associated with Homer on Chios.
According to local tradition, Homer taught at Daskalopetra, or the “Teacher’s Stone,” near Vrontados. Although many details surrounding Homer’s life remain uncertain, Chios has long maintained one of the strongest traditions linking the ancient poet to the island.
That connection gives the program a distinctive setting, allowing participants to encounter the Homeric legacy in places closely associated with its cultural memory. A visual arts exhibition is also planned, while several performances and activities will be recorded.
Another highlight will be a walking route on Mount Aipos, following a course from Petrota toward the area known as Homerika. The excursion will connect the island’s landscape with the traditions surrounding one of antiquity’s most influential literary figures.
Chios connects students with Greece’s Homeric and cultural heritage
Participants will also visit the Chios Mastic Museum, where they will encounter another defining element of the island’s history and identity. Chios is the only place in the world where the mastic tree produces the aromatic resin known as mastiha on a commercial scale. Its cultivation has influenced the island’s economy, traditions, and landscape for centuries.
By combining Homeric heritage with local history, artistic expression, and exploration, the organizers aim to offer participants a broader experience of Chios rather than a conventional school festival. The initiative also supports efforts to highlight the eastern Aegean island as a destination for cultural and educational tourism.
The Municipality of Chios, the Chios Directorate of Secondary Education, and the cultural organization E.TH.O.S. Aegean are organizing the meeting together with the event’s coordinating committee.
At its core, the gathering reflects a simple but enduring idea: stories composed nearly three millennia ago can still inspire new performances, interpretations, and connections among young people from different parts of Europe.
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