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Korinthos
Ancient Korinthos With the setting of Dorians (9th c. BC), Korinth's history began. In the age of myth, Korinthos was always being thrown into turmoil by tribes pouring into the Peloponnese from Isthmus. It became a great naval power. The Korinthians were the first to have the idea of cutting through the Isthmus but were unable to accomplish it. Instead they invented and built a paved slip way called Diolkos, in order to haul their boats over the Isthmus.
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They
were foremost in arts, especially in ceramics. The 5th century was
their most glorious period. But when Athens became powerful Korinth
fell into decline. In 146 BC the Romans destroyed it completely.
Later in 67 BC Nero started digging, to create a big trench, but the
work stopped due to his death. Finally in 1891-1893 the canal became
a reality. The town rose again in the 11th century. In 1212 the
Franks took over the place until 1395 when the Byzantines gained the
advantage, only to sell the town to the knights of Rhodos five years
later. In 1458 it fell to the Turks. A strong earthquake razes the
town in 1521. It became property of the knights of Malta 1612,
passed to the Venetians in 1687 and was recaptured by the Turks in
1715. They were ousted in 1822.
Korinth
is also known from the letters to the Korinthians of Apostle Paul
and his preaching here. The ruins of ancient Korinth are spread out
at the foot of the huge rock of Acrocorinth. The monuments are
mainly Roman and only a few are Greek. You can trace the Long Walls
which began at the summit of Acrocorinth and descended all the way
to Lechaion, the artificial harbour on the Corinthian Gulf. The
Doric temple of Apollo (6th c. BC with 1st c. AD restorations)
stands on a knoll to the north of the agora and it is the most
important monument of that period. The museum is in the south-west
sector of the site. It contains mosaic floors, Mycenaean and
Korinthian pottery, terra cotta sphinxes, statues of two
supernatural beings, relief plaques, the Roman head of the Goddess
Tyche and small objects of various kinds. The imposing mass of
Acrocorinth rises out of the ground at the edge of the ancient city.
At the top of the pinnacle, at an altitude of 575 m stood the
acropolis of Korinth during ancient and medieval times. This is the
largest and the oldest fortress in Peloponnese. Part of the
auditorium of the theatre, for 3,000 spectators, was cut out on a
rock.- RAM UNIVERSAL STUDIOS -