“Ancient Corinth was an important city in ancient Greece and it played a major role in the missionary work of the Apostle Paul.”

Corinth, or Korinth is a Greek city, on the Isthmus of Corinth, the original isthmus, the narrow stretch of land that joins the Peloponnesus to the mainland of Greece. To the west of the isthmus lies the Gulf of Corinth. Corinth is about 48 miles (78 km) west of Athens and it is the capital ofthe prefecture of Corinthia. The city is surrounded by Lechaio, Kalamaki, Loutraki, Geraneia mountains, and the southern mountains. Corinth was an important city in ancient Greece and it played a major role in the missionary work of the Apostle Paul. Today, Corinth is the second largest city in the Peloponnese with several sites of interest to pilgrims and tourists.

Temple of Apollo

The site of ancient Corinth was first inhabited in the Neolithic period (5000-3000 BC), and flourished as a major Greek city from the 8th century BC until its destruction by the Romans in 146 BC. Its commanding position on the Isthmus of Corinth, the narrow strip of land that separates the Peloponnese from northern Greece, was the primary basis of its importance. Ancient Corinth controlled the diolkos (Greek for “haul across”), the 6th-century BC stone-paved roadway that connected the Saronic Gulf with the Gulf of Corinth. This overland route was highly valuable in that it allowed passengers and cargo to avoid the difficult and time-consuming trip around the southern end of the Peloponnese. Being a leading naval power as well as a rich commercial city enabled Ancient Corinth to establish colonies in Syracuse on the island of Sicily and on Corcyra (modern Corfu). These colonies served as trading posts for the richly ornamental bronze works, textiles, and pottery that Ancient Corinth produced. Beginning in 582 BC, in the spring of every second year the Isthmian Games were celebrated in honor of the sea god Poseidon. The Doric Temple of Apollo, one of Corinth’s major landmarks, was constructed in 550 BC at the height of the city’s wealth.

Ancient Corinth was conquered by Philip II of Macedon in 338 BC, but it was named the meeting place of Philip’s new Hellenic confederacy. After Philip was assassinated, Alexander the Great immediately came to Ancient Corinth to meet with the confederacy, confirm his leadership, and forestall any thoughts of rebellion. At the Isthmian Games of 336 BC, the Greeks chose Alexander the Great to lead them in war against the Persians.

Ancient Corinth was partially destroyed by the Romans in 146 BC, but in 44 BC it was rebuilt as a Roman city under Julius Caesar. Roman Corinth prospered more than ever before and may have had as many as 800,000 inhabitants by the time of Paul. It was the capital of Roman Greece, equally devoted to business and pleasure, and was mostly populated by freedmen and Jews.

Roman Fountain

The Apostle Paul visited Ancient Corinth in the 50s AD and later wrote two letters to the Christian community at  Ancient Corinth (the books of 1 and 2 Corinthians in the New Testament). When Paul first visited the city (51 or 52 AD), Gallio, the brother of Seneca, was proconsul of Corinth. Paul lived in  Ancient Corinth for 18 months (Acts 18:1-18), working as a tentmaker and converting as many Jews and pagans as he could. Here he first became acquainted with Aquila and Priscilla, who became his fellow-workers. Although Paul intended to pass through Ancient Corinth a second time before he visited Macedonia, circumstances were such that he first went from Troas to Macedonia before stopping at Ancient Corinth for a “second benefit” (2 Corinthians 1:15). This time he stayed in Corinth for three months (Acts 20:3). It was probably during this second visit in the spring of 58 that Paul wrote the Epistle to the Romans. Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians, written from Ephesus, reflects the difficulties of maintaining a Christian community in such a cosmopolitan city.

In 267 AD, the invasion of the Herulians initiated the decline of the city. During Alaric’s invasion of Greece in 395–396, he destroyed  Ancient Corinth and sold many of its citizens into slavery. Nevertheless, Ancient Corinth remained inhabited for many centuries through successive invasions, destructions and plagues.

After 1204, when Constantinople fell to the Fourth Crusade, Ancient Corinth was a prize sought by all. Ancient Corinth was captured by the Turks in 1458; the Knights of Malta won it in 1612; the Venetians took a turn from 1687 until 1715, when the Turks returned; and the city finally came into Greek hands in 1822.

In 1893 a 4-mile (6-km) Corinth canal was finally completed, providing an essential shipping route between the Ionian and Aegean seas. Like its ancient predecessor, modern Corinth is the center of commerce between northern and southern Greece. Today, it has a population of about 30,000.

Headless Statues of Women outside of the Archaeological Museum

The Archaeological Museum of Ancient Corinth was built in 1931/32 by the architect W. Stuart Thompson and was extended towards the east in 1950. It contains collections of prehistoric finds, various items ranging from the Geometric to the Hellenistic period, Roman and Byzantine finds, excavation finds from the Asklepieion of Corinth, and a collection of sculptures and inscriptions.

Some of the most important items of the exhibition are:
• Large Mycenaean krater decorated with a painted representation of warriors on a chariot. Dated to 1200 B.C.
• Corinthian amphora with a lid. It bears a representation of two heraldic cocks and a double palmette at the centre. Dated to ca. 600 B.C.
• Mosaic, pebbled floor, with a representation of griffins devouring a horse. It is one of the earliest preserved Greek mosaics, dated to ca. 400 B.C.
• Mosaic floor decorated with the head of Dionysos framed by ornaments. It comes from a Roman villa and dates to the 2nd century A.D.
• Marble statue of a youth. Roman portrait, possibly of Lucius Caesar, son of Augustus, dated to the end of the 1st century B.C. or the beginning of the 1st century A.D. It imitates a Greek original of the first half of the 4th century B.C.
• Marble sphinx from a funerary monument. It is resting on the hind legs and standing on the fore. Traces of painted decoration are preserved on the torso and the wings. Corinthian product, dated to the middle of the 6th century B.C.
• Byzantine glazed plate. It is decorated with a representation of Digenis Acritas and a princess, and dates from the 12th century A.D. It belongs to a series of imported Byzantine vases, spanning the period from the end of the 9th until the end of the 14th century A.D.

Additional Information
Location: 90,00 km from Athens

It is famous about
First inhabited in the Neolithic Period
Missionary work of the Apostle Paul
Its commanding position on the Isthmus of Corinth
Being a leading naval power as well as a rich commercial city
Isthmian Games