Dear Student Travelers,

I’m Dr. Rob Stephan, and I’m beyond excited to serve as your Expert during the final stop of this amazing journey through Greece, Italy, and the broader Mediterranean. We’ll be wrapping up in one of the most iconic cities in the world– Rome– and I can’t wait to explore it with you!

I’m a professor of Classics and Archaeology at the University of Arizona, but more than anything, I’m someone who’s fascinated by the ancient world and how it continues to shape our lives today. My own path into archaeology started in college when I joined my first excavation on a windswept mountaintop in western Sicily. That dig at a sanctuary where Greeks, Phoenicians, and native Sicilians once came together lit a fire in me. Since then, I’ve excavated temples to Apollo in Cyprus, Roman forts in Britain, and sunken harbors in Greece. Today, I direct a project near Athens that investigates how people adapted to major moments of crisis and collapse. What drew me to archaeology in the first place still drives me now: the thrill of uncovering buried stories and understanding how people lived, loved, and built their worlds.

In Rome, I’ll be giving a few short talks designed just for you! One session will take us deep into the myths and monuments of the Roman Empire. We’ll see how emperors used architecture, symbolism, and storytelling to project their power across the vast Roman world. Another talk will plunge us into the world of gladiators, beast hunts, and chariot races– what the Romans called panem et circenses, or “bread and circuses.” These public spectacles weren’t just for fun; they were political tools meant to entertain, distract, and impress. Finally, we’ll have a fun, hands-on session where I’ll show you how to think (and look!) like an archaeologist– how we use everything from broken pottery to ancient graffiti to piece together the past. It’s amazing what you can learn from something as small as a coin or a shard of glass.

More than anything, I want you to feel like you’re part of the adventure. Rome isn’t just a place you visit– it’s a city you experience. Whether we’re standing in the Colosseum, walking the ancient streets of the Forum, or watching the sunset over the rooftops, I hope you’ll ask questions, make connections, and let your curiosity guide you. I’m always happy to chat about mythology, archaeology, travel, or even your favorite ancient-themed movie or video game (trust me, I’ve got thoughts on everything from Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey to Gladiator.)

I can’t wait to meet you, hear your stories, and explore the Eternal City together. This will be a trip you’ll never forget and I’m so glad I get to be part of it.

See you soon,

Dr. Rob Stephan
Associate Professor of Classics