FLASHCARDS FRIDAYS! Ancient Vacations

Episode Overview:
Did people in antiquity ever go on vacation? The short answer is yes—and the long answer is a fascinating journey through Roman villas, Greek festivals, Byzantine retreats, Tang dynasty poetry, and sacred pilgrimages. In this Flashcard Friday episode, Gabrielle Birchak uncovers how the privileged, the pious, and the poetic found ways to take breaks, explore new places, and seek leisure across 1,400 years of ancient history. From Pliny the Younger’s coastal villa to early travel writing in Baghdad, we’ll explore how the idea of “getting away” is as old as civilization itself.

Three Things Listeners Will Learn:

1. How ancient Romans and Greeks viewed leisure and travel.

2. How pilgrimage functioned as early tourism across Christian and Islamic worlds.

3. What writings from antiquity reveal about humanity’s timeless desire to escape daily routines.

 

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Episode Transcript

(00:02):
It's Flashcards Friday here at Math Science History.
Hi there, I'm Gabrielle Burchak.
This month we are starting a summer series
about vacations, because we all deserve one.
Am I right?
Today's topic is about ancient vacations.
Long before cruise lines, travel rewards programs, or
national parks, people were already finding ways to

(00:23):
take a break from daily life.
So what did vacation look like between 400
BCE and 1000 CE?
Was it all chariots and toga parties?
Or did it resemble our modern idea of
leisure more than we think?
Let's take a closer look.
But first, a quick word from my advertisers.

(00:44):
Our modern word vacation comes from the Latin
term vacare, to be empty or to be
free.
The concept of taking time off isn't new,
it's ancient.
And while vacations weren't accessible to the average
farmer or laborer, they were very much part
of elite and aristocratic life in many ancient
cultures.
Take the ancient Romans for example.

(01:06):
From around 400 BCE through the early centuries
of the Common Era, the Roman elite were
very familiar with the idea of getting away.
Wealthy senators and aristocrats often owned countryside villas
along the coast of Campania, especially near places
like Naples, Pompeii, and Herculaneum.
Think of it as their Hamptons.

(01:28):
These villas weren't just functional, they were luxurious,
adorned with fountains, libraries, gardens, and art.
Pliny the Younger wrote detailed letters about his
seaside villas and even described the feeling of
peace he experienced by the sea.
His writings are some of our clearest textual
evidence that Romans vacationed intentionally to rest, write,

(01:51):
reflect, and recharge.
But leisure in ancient Rome wasn't always peaceful.
Popular vacation destinations included public baths, amphitheaters, or
even traveling to religious festivals.
In fact, Rome had more public holidays, feriae,
than workdays at certain points in its history.
So for many, a vacation might be a

(02:13):
day of games, festivals, and elaborate feasts.
Okay, now what about ancient Greece?
Well, the Greeks loved their festivals and they
used them as opportunities to travel.
Every four years, people would travel great distances
to attend the Olympic Games in Olympia or
to participate in the Panathenaic Festival in Athens.

(02:34):
These weren't just sporting events, they were religious,
cultural, and social gatherings, and they often lasted
for days or even weeks.
Traveling to these events wasn't easy, of course.
Roads were rough and bandits were a real
concern, but it didn't stop people.
Greek writings and inscriptions talk about journeying to

(02:55):
Delphi to bathe in sacred springs and ask
questions of the Oracle.
Pilgrimage was a form of travel, one that
blurred the lines between devotion and exploration.
In fact, some of the earliest travel literature
was born from these journeys.
Herodotus, often called the Father of History, detailed

(03:16):
his travels across Egypt and Mesopotamia around 450
BCE.
Though not vacations in the modern sense, these
travels did reflect curiosity, awe, and wonder, emotions
we often associate with sightseeing today.
Between 300 and 1000 CE, the Western Roman
Empire fell and Europe shifted into what we

(03:38):
now call the Early Middle Ages.
Did vacations vanish?
Not exactly.
In the Byzantine Empire, which preserved Roman traditions
long after the fall of Rome, the wealthy
still traveled for pleasure.
Constantinople had sprawling bathhouses and coastal retreats where
nobles would escape the noise of the city.

(04:00):
The Emperor himself had summer palaces in places
like Chalcedon.
Meanwhile, religious pilgrimage grew in importance.
In both the Christian and Islamic worlds, pilgrimage
routes doubled as early forms of tourism.
Christians traveled to Rome, Jerusalem, or Santiago de
Compostela.
Muslims made the Hajj to Mecca, a practice

(04:23):
that began in the 7th century.
These weren't beach getaways, but they involved planning,
travel, and time away from ordinary life.
And let's not forget the Abbasid Caliphate, centered
in Baghdad during the 8th and 9th centuries.
In this golden age of Islamic civilization, scholars,

(04:43):
poets, and nobles traveled between cities like Damascus,
Cairo, and Cordoba.
Gardens, public libraries, and country estates provided peaceful
settings for study, relaxation, and poetry.
In the 9th century, al-Jahiz and al
-Masudi wrote texts describing not only scientific curiosities,

(05:04):
but also landscapes and cultures they encountered in
their journeys.
Of course, we shouldn't assume everyone traveled far.
For many, leisure was found in the locale,
visiting a river, attending a local fair, or
spending time in a rural family home.
Seasonal rhythms shaped the pace of life.
Planting and harvesting seasons were intense, but they

(05:27):
also allowed for pockets of downtime.
Even in medieval China, during the Tang Dynasty,
which was roughly between the 7th to 10th
centuries, the concept of traveling to scenic or
spiritual spots was well known.
The poet Du Fu wrote about mountain retreats
and the solace he found in nature.

(05:48):
The Liderati class valued excursions to scenic areas,
what we might call a nature vacation today.
So, did they really vacation?
Yes.
If we redefine vacation as taking a purposeful
break from normal responsibilities, whether to rest, worship,
reflect, or celebrate, then people between 400 BCE

(06:11):
and 1000 CE absolutely vacationed.
The rich had villas, the devout had pilgrimages,
and the curious had festivals and poetry.
Of course, vacations weren't democratic.
They were often a privilege of the elite,
but they were valued.
Whether in Pliny's Roman Villa or a Tang

(06:32):
Dynasty retreat in the hills, the concept of
pausing life to restore oneself is deeply rooted
in human history.
So, what are three key takeaways from today's
flashcard episode?
One, the ancient Romans and Greeks did vacation,
especially the wealthy, through countryside villas, cultural festivals,
and spiritual retreats.

(06:54):
Two, pilgrimage doubled as early tourism, giving people
a break from routine and a sense of
purpose in their travel.
Three, travel literature and poetic descriptions from writers
like Pliny, Du Fu, and al-Masudi offer
insight into how people sought leisure and inspiration
far from home.
So the next time you book a weekend

(07:15):
trip or stare longingly at a travel ad,
remember, you're participating in a tradition that's thousands
of years old.
Ancient people may not have had airplanes or
hotels, but the desire to pause, reflect, and
explore?
That is timeless.
Thanks for joining me for this flashcard Friday.
If you enjoyed this episode, consider leaving a

(07:35):
review or sharing it with a friend who's
planning a trip.
Until next time, take the time to take
a break, and carpe diem!