The modern name of the city is Corinth. Corinth (Κόρινθος). Ancient and modern. Life and life of the inhabitants of Corinth
Corinth Island - myths, legends, ancient and modern history are intertwined here, everything is fused with a common meaning and crowned with a loud name.
According to legend, the founder of the city was the character of ancient Greek mythology, Corinth. According to the inhabitants of Corinth, the son of Zeus and Electra. According to Eumelus, the son of Marathon. He named Ethereum by his name. Etheria Pyrenees - the ancient name of Corinth, where the source of the Pyrenees was. According to legend, Medea lived in Corinth with Jason, who cooled towards her and was going to marry the princess Creusa, or Glaucus. The murder of Glaucus and two children by Jason by Medea is the theme of Euripides' tragedy Medea. He did not leave a son, and the Corinthians transferred power to Medea and Jason.
Corinth, as Farrar put it, was the vanity fair of the ancient world. People called it the Greek Bridge, it was also called the Hot Spot of Greece. Someone once said that if a person stands for quite a long time in Piccadilly in London, then he can, in the end, see every inhabitant of the country. Corinth was the Piccadilly of the Mediterranean. In addition to this, the Isthmian Games were also held there, which were second in popularity only to the Olympic Games. Corinth was a wealthy populous city, one of the largest trading centers of the ancient world.
It stands on the Isthmus of Corinth, separating mainland Hellas from the Peloponnese peninsula. The most ancient Corinthians, who settled here as early as 5-3 thousand BC. e., they chose a place sensibly: access to the sea, an elevated position, a fertile plain - live without fear and in pleasure. And so they lived.
The first of the kings to glorify Corinth, a demigod himself, had a short stint with the Olympians. In the middle of the city, on Mount Acrocorinth, he decided to build a fortress; however, noticing from the top how the Thunderer Zeus attracts the nymph Aegina to the nearest island, he forgot about modesty: he reported the incident to Aegina's father, the river god Asol. Angered by Zeus, he cast the tsar into Hades, where he is doomed to forever roll a stone to the top of the mountain. His name is Sisyphus. And on Acrocorinth they built a temple dedicated to Biya (goddess of violence) and Ananka (goddess of inevitability)...
Noted on Acrocorinth and Sisyphus grandson, Bellerophon. Pegasus went down to the watering place here. Bellerophon, who needed a feathered horse for another feat, caught him and tamed him.
At the foot of the mountain there is a well, whose origin is also covered with myths. Jason, who had cooled down to Medea over time, forgot what she sacrificed for him and how dangerous she could be. In a word, he fell in love with Princess Glavka, got married and even accepted a gift from his abandoned wife for a happy bride. The luxurious veil on Glauca's shoulders began to burn her with hellish flames - the poor girl threw herself into the well. And gave him her name.
History imperiously invades the myth, it is impossible to divorce them - especially since fiction turns out to be a component of European culture. So, Corinth is mentioned in the Iliad, in the VIII century. BC e. the famous Corinthian triremes appear, Corinthian ceramics are bought by the entire Mediterranean.
In 582 BC. e. The Isthmian Games are established in honor of Poseidon. The whole of Greece rushes to Corinth once every two years to watch sports competitions, listen to musicians. Among the spectators once was ... the Apostle Paul: evidence of this was preserved in his Epistles.
The history of Corinth is divided into two periods. Corinth is an ancient city. Thucydides, an ancient Greek historian, claims that the first triremes, Greek warships, were built in Corinth. According to legend, the ship of the Argonauts was also built in Corinth. Argo. But in 235 BC, tragedy struck Corinth. Rome was busy conquering the world. When the Romans tried to conquer Greece, Corinth led the resistance. But the Greeks could not stand against the disciplined and well-organized Roman army, and in the same year, General Lucius Mumius captured Corinth and turned it into a heap of ruins.
But a place with such a geographical position could not be empty forever. Almost exactly one hundred years after the destruction of Corinth, in 35 BC, Julius Caesar rebuilt it from the ruins, and Corinth became a Roman colony. Moreover, it became the capital, the center of the Roman province of Achaia, which included almost all of Greece.
It was inhabited by all sorts of rabble, the situation was aggravated by the fact that Corinth turned out to be a "twice" port city: both on the Aegean and on the Ionian seas, its harbors rustled. The Greeks no longer recognized it as their own, multilingual speech sounded on the streets, and migrants brought their own beliefs. The cults of Isis, Cybele, Seralis flourished here.
Corinth gained general fame for its commercial prosperity, but it also became the epitome of immoral life. The very word "corinthian", that is, to live in Corinthian, entered the Greek language and meant to lead a drunken and depraved life. This word entered the English language, and during the time of the Regency, the Corinthians were called young people who led a wild and reckless lifestyle. The Greek writer Elian says that if a Corinthian ever appeared on stage in a Greek drama, he must have been drunk. The very name Corinth was synonymous with revelry. The city was a source of evil known throughout the civilized world. The Acropolis hill towered above the isthmus, and on it stood a large temple of the goddess Aphrodite. A thousand priestesses of the goddess Aphrodite lived at the temple, priestesses of love, sacred prostitutes who descended from the Acropolis in the evenings and offered themselves to everyone for money on the streets of Corinth, until the Greeks had a new saying: "Not every man can afford to go to Corinth." In addition to these gross sins, even more refined vices flourished in Corinth, which were brought with them by merchants and sailors from all over the known world at that time. And so Corinth became not only a synonym for wealth and luxury, drunkenness and intemperance, but also a synonym for abomination and debauchery.
Corinth stood on the side of the Spartans during the Peloponnesian War, and for many years in the classical and Hellenistic era, the activities of its rulers were directly related to the fate of other Greek cities.
When the apostle Paul came to Corinth, the depravity of the Corinthians shocked him. "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor malakia, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor predators - they will not inherit the Kingdom of God" .
And yet, it was here, in Corinth, that Paul founded one of the first Christian communities. Here he was first tried for preaching a new doctrine and was acquitted. It is to the Corinthians that his four Epistles are addressed, of which only two have come down to us. In this many-sided, international city, he decided to leave the synagogue and preach the Word of Christ to everyone - not only to the Jews; Christianity became truly universal. And finally, it was to these indulgent voluptuaries that he considered it necessary to explain what love is. In this hotbed of vice, in the most seemingly unsuitable city in all of Greece, Paul performed one of his greatest deeds, and in it one of the greatest victories of Christianity was won.
Apart from Ephesus, Paul stayed in Corinth longer than in any other city. With danger to his life, he left Macedonia and moved to Athens. Here he did not achieve much, and therefore he went on to Corinth, where he remained for eighteen months. It will become clearer to us how little we know about his work when we learn that all the events of these eighteen months are summarized in 17 verses. (Acts. 18,1-17).
Upon arrival in Corinth, Paul settled with Aquila and Priscilla. He preached with great success in the synagogue. After the arrival of Timothy and Silas from Macedonia, Paul redoubled his efforts, but the Jews were so hostile and implacable that he had to leave the synagogue. He moved to Justus, who lived next to the synagogue. The most famous of his converts to the faith of Christ was Crispus, the head of the synagogue; and among the people Paul's preaching was also a great success.
In 52, a new governor arrived in Corinth, the Roman Gallio, known for his charm and nobility. The Jews tried to take advantage of his ignorance and kindness and brought Paul to his trial, accusing him of "teaching people to honor God not according to the law." But Gallio, in accordance with the impartiality of Roman justice, refused to examine their accusation and took no action. Therefore, Paul was able to complete his work here and then went to Syria.
It is likely that Paul's Corinthian correspondence, which we have, is incomplete and that its layout is broken. It must be remembered that it was not until the year 90 or so that the letters and epistles of Paul were first collected. It seems that they were available in various church communities only on pieces of papyrus and, therefore, it was difficult to collect them. When the letters to the Corinthians were collected, they apparently were not all found, they were not collected completely, and they were not arranged in the original sequence.
Stalker said that Paul's epistles lifted the veil of obscurity from the early Christian communities, telling us what was going on within them. This statement best characterizes the letters to the Corinthians. Here we see what the words "care for all the churches" meant to Paul. We see both broken hearts and joys here. We see Paul, the shepherd of his flock, taking their worries and sorrows to heart.
Periander (ruler) of Corinth. As a result of his reforms, a powerful state was created, the territory of which stretched from the Ionian Sea to the Adriatic. Periander, the tyrant of Corinth, was the son of Kypsel and Cratea. As heir to his father's wealth and power, Periander from the very beginning assumed an exceptional position among the rulers of the cities of Isthma. He married the daughter of the tyrant Proclus of Epidaurus, the granddaughter of the Arcadian king Aristocrat Melissa, who in childhood was called Lysidike.
Warlike, according to Aristotle, Periander constantly sought to increase his possessions on the shores of the western sea, where in some places his half-brothers or their descendants already ruled. He was especially attracted to Kerkyra, with its fertile lands and convenient location on the way of ships to Italy and Sicily. He conquered the island and transferred dominion, presumably, to his son Nicholas. Later, at the end of Periander's life, the Corkyrians, trying to throw off the hated oppression, killed Nicholas. Then Periander again captured the island and inflicted a terrible massacre on prominent families for this, after which he planted his nephew Psammetichus on Corcyra, and he himself returned to Corinth.
Crafts and crafts, which already under Kypsel began to develop rapidly in a very well-located Corinth, reached their full flowering under Periander. In ceramic production, this is manifested both in the surprising vastness of the potters' area, and in the completeness of the artistic decoration of the vessels of the so-called Corinthian style, and in their distribution to remote areas, primarily Italy and Sicily. While overseas exports increased trade turnover, the amount of port dues also grew, which first of all went in favor of the Bakchiads, and then the tyrants. Under Periander, it reached such proportions that Kypsel's son could refuse other taxes. The ambiguity of the reign of Periander, who showed himself, on the one hand, as selfish, shamelessly interfering in the life of the community...
Nero also visited Corinth, wishing to fulfill an old dream of the Mediterranean - to dig a canal separating the Peloponnese from the mainland. He even dug the ground with a golden hoe. At this point, the matter slowed down until 1893.
For the last two millennia, Corinth has lived a normal life: it was torn apart by earthquakes, captured and burned by the Heruli, the Goths of Allaric, the Normans, pirates, Florentines, Turks, Crusaders.
The latter, having mastered the ancient axiom ("who owns Acrocorinth, that is the master of the entire Peloponnese"), put an impregnable fortress on the mountain, repair and improve it throughout the Middle Ages and leave it to the Turks.
In 1822, when the Turks were no longer all over Greece, a small garrison still held Acrocorinth - there was not a single surrender in the history of the fortress. Finally, the saddened Turks, realizing that in Acrocorinth they are threatened with death only from old age, leave the fortress with the national flag and freely return to their historical homeland.
Today's Corinth (84 km from Athens) is a modern city of 30,000 inhabitants and an active social and commercial life. It has wide streets and a good layout. The place where the agora of Corinth was located is currently a huge archaeological reserve. The oldest and most important Doric temple of Apollo, one of the most famous temples of antiquity in the center, numerous galleries and innumerable shops, smaller temples such as those of Tyche, Asclepius and Hermes, the sanctuary of Athena with a bridle, theater, odeon, baths, springs, such like Lerna, Glauca and Pirene, basilicas with stucco images of the imperial family, large streets such as Lecheo street - all this makes up an endless ensemble of monuments, a vivid description of which Pausanias gives in his treatise On Corinth.
Approximately in the middle of a row of central shops there was a "tribune", from where the Roman governor addressed the citizens who gathered in the square. In the Middle Ages, a small temple was built in its place, the foundation of which has been preserved. The port of Corinth in the Gulf of Corinth is Lecheo, which is very close to the city, where there were boathouses and military marine parking. In its heyday, long walls connected the port and the maritime site with Corinth, and their remains were discovered at the beginning of the 20th century. In the Roman era, Lecheo had embankments built from huge rectangular tufa slabs. Its location is of great strategic importance.
In the Saronic Gulf, not far from Isthmia, after the restoration of Corinth, its second port, Kenchrei, was created with significant fortifications, which also played the role of a breakwater in cases of unrest at sea. A significant part of these fortifications can today be seen below the surface of the sea, and only a small part is visible on land. A small complex of rooms near the south breakwater may have been a port storage facility.
Next to it there was a temple, possibly, of Isis and the remains of a three-aisled basilica of the 4th century, under the floor of which more than seventy burials were found. Near the northern breakwater, there are remains of late Roman and early Christian buildings. In Kenkhrey, where there has been a settlement since prehistoric times, in the 1st c. has more inhabitants than Leheo. This is emphasized in the unambiguous mention of the "Church of Cenchrea" (Romans 16:1) in the Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Romans, and is also evident from the presentation to the Romans of the deaconess of Thebes, who, apparently, herself brought this epistle to Rome in the winter of 52-53. .
Where the road from Cenchrea ended, at the gates of the walls of Corinth, Alexander met the philosopher Diogenes, who is known to have lived in an earthen pot. In both of these ports, which are known for certain to have trodden by the apostle of the nations, special works will be carried out to restore them and facilitate access for pilgrims.
In the Acts of the Holy Apostles, it is mentioned that the Apostle Paul sent his helpers Timothy and Erast to Macedonia, while he himself was in Ephesus. By the way, in the Epistle to the Romans, Paul mentions Erast in the following way: "Greetings to you is Erast, the city treasurer." It seems that Erast, who is one of the seventy apostles, was staying in Corinth at the time of the writing of the Epistle to the Romans. An inscription was found near the Corinthian theater, in which the name "Erast" is mentioned. The inscription is as follows: ERASTVS PRO AEDILITATE S P STRAVIT and indicates that the street was tiled thanks to his care. The pavement dates back to the middle of the 1st century, but the inscription on the slab was carved later. It is believed that Erast, who appears in the inscription, is the same person as the city treasurer of the era of Paul, so they want to install this archaeological find in such a way that it is accessible and visitors can read this inscription. The descent that leads from today's street to the Roman road discovered during the excavations will also be cleaned and shaped - it will be uncovered to its full length.
In the region of the Isthmus of Corinth, sections of the Diolk, a special, tiled "road" along which ships were dragged from Kenchrei to Leheo, were discovered. Its construction dates back to the beginning of the 6th century. BC, the era of Periandra, and it was built with the aim, if necessary, of a quick crossing, mainly warships. Many, including Nero, tried to build a sea route, but to no avail. As a result, the canal was dug at the end of the 19th century, and its opening took place on October 28, 1893, under Prime Minister Harilaos Trikoupis.
One of the Christian monuments that testify to the greatness of Christianity in Corinth is the huge early Christian basilica of Lecheo, the remains of which are located very close to the sea and which is dedicated to Saint Leonidas. Excavations here were carried out by Professor D. Pallas, as a result of which a three-aisled basilica with a five-slope transverse chapel and two atria was discovered. The total length of this monument from the niche of the altar to the end of the outer atrium is 179m!
The Cathedral is dedicated to the Apostle Paul - the patron saint of the city and was built after the 1928 earthquake. The church museum was founded in 1973 and its collection includes significant church exhibits (manuscripts, bishop's vestments, portable icons, photographs, gospels, etc.). Every year during the summer months there are events dedicated to the city's patron saint, such as performances by dance ensembles and choral concerts.
Acrocorinth - This is the largest and oldest fortress of the Peloponnese. It is located on the top of a rocky mountain at an altitude of 575 meters above sea level and at a distance of 3.5 km from ancient Corinth. Its imposing walls were built during the Middle Ages on the remains of older pre-Christian fortifications, with some later additions during the period of Turkish rule. In the fortress there are ruins of the temple of Aphrodite, other pre-Christian buildings, the remains of Christian churches, as well as buildings from the period of Ottoman rule. Acrocorinth is inextricably linked with the name of Prince Nafplio Leon Sgouros, who in 1210 committed suicide by jumping off the city walls along with his horse so as not to surrender to the Franks.
Corinth, the eternal battlefield between love and power, finally decisively rejected the latter, the Apostle Paul was not mistaken in his addressees.
SISYPHEAN LABOR
The city on the site of modern New Corinth arose, flourished and was completely destroyed several times. This is one of the oldest cities in Hellas with a long, albeit intermittent, history.
Old Corinth, from which only ruins remained 5 km from New Corinth, in Antiquity was one of the largest capitals in the world. There were two ports on the shores of the Corinthian and Saronic Gulfs; in the harbors - docks to accommodate a large fleet. Archaeological excavations have brought to light the remains of an archaic temple, a forum, a market, a Pyrene fountain, public baths, shopping malls along a paved road with covered sidewalks, the ruins of a basilica, fragments of mosaics and statues.
The first large settlement under the hill arose in the Neolithic, at least 6 thousand years ago. Representatives of non-Indo-European peoples settled here, who arrived by sea from the western part of Asia Minor. They were excellent potters and stonemasons. The second wave of immigrants, also from the east, brought with them the art of metalworking. The city prospered, but was destroyed and abandoned for six centuries by the inhabitants at the end of the 3rd millennium BC. e., when half-savage tribes poured into the Peloponnese from the north.
It is believed that the name Corinth is of ancient non-Indo-European origin. If so, then the old name returned after the period of naming Ethera (clearly a Greek toponym), along with a local legend about the founding of the city by a certain ancient Greek hero Corinth, presumably the son of Zeus. According to another legend, the city was founded not by Corinth, but by Sisyphus (according to Homer's description, an extremely unreliable, greedy, cunning and vicious person who constantly violated the code of hospitality...). However, there are a lot of discrepancies in the myths about the first kings of Corinth: in one version, Sisyphus is called the direct successor of Corinth, who took revenge on the locals for his murder; in another, after the death of Corinth, the townspeople transferred power to Jason and Medea, and after them Sisyphus received the throne; in the third, King Creon, who received Jason and Medea, is called "a descendant of Sisyphus." Another myth says that one day Poseidon and Helios argued over Corinth, and it was decided that the Isthmus of Corinth belongs to Poseidon, and Acrocorynth to Helios. A comparison of several chronicles allows us to attribute the foundation of Acrocorinth (protected by the triple fortress wall of the "upper city" on a hill, with the temple of Aphrodite and the source of the Upper Pyrenees) to 1514 BC. e.
The main center of the Peloponnese in the XVI-XI centuries. BC e. there were Mycenae, and Corinth was one of the Mycenaean kingdoms. After the Dorian invasion and the "catastrophe of the Bronze Age", Corinth is already considered a Dorian state; The Dorian Apetus founded a new dynasty in Corinth. At the beginning of the classical period, Corinth dominated the peninsula for a time. The Corinthians grew rich not only at the expense of crafts (the production of bronze products, fabrics, black-figure ceramics and tiles) and trade: the locals controlled the narrow Isthmus of Corinth and took a toll for traveling on roads and for dragging ships. The city was a center of trade and entertainment, the extravagance (and immorality) of its inhabitants entered the proverb: “Not everyone can visit Corinth” in the meaning “Expensive is not accessible to everyone.” The Isthmian Games in Corinth were the second most important after the Olympic Games.
Some of the inhabitants migrated to the north (for example, Kerkyra, modern Corfu) and to the south (Syracuse in Sicily). Relations between the mother city and the colonies were not cloudless: for example, the separatist sentiments of Corfu aggravated by the 7th century. BC e. so much so that they led to the first naval battle in history (c. 664 BC).
In 602 BC. e. The tyrant of Corinth, Periander, wanted to dig a canal and went to the oracle for a blessing, but the Pythia forbade him to dig the isthmus. And the engineers advised against, fearing flooding of the land due to the difference in water levels in the bays. Instead, the old portage of Diolok was paved with stone blocks and equipped with a semblance of rails along which carts transported ships. Periander ruled for 40 years, having managed to do a lot of useful things for Corinth, which reached its peak under him; however, he was a quick-tempered, vengeful and cruel man. His weaker successor held on for three years and was assassinated; after that, a period of decline began in Corinth, and he lost his position to Athens and Sparta.
ROMAN ERA
As a punishment for the uprising in 146 BC. e. Rome wiped out Corinth, which was the last major commercial rival of the Romans in the Mediterranean (quite shortly before that, the Romans destroyed Carthage before the foundation). A century later, in its place, the capital of the Roman province of Achaia was built with the name Corinth, Julius Glory.
Having survived, along with many other policies of Ancient Greece, a period of political and economic crisis, Corinth became dependent on. By the will of Philip II of Macedon (father of Alexander the Great), the Corinthian Union of Greek city-states arose, united in the winter of 338/337 BC. e. for war with Persia. Later in 243, Corinth joined the revived Achaean League, which united the north of the Peloponnese to drive out the tyrants and the Macedonian garrisons; but as a result of the unsuccessful Cleomenes' war with Sparta (229-222 BC), the Achaean Union broke up, and Corinth in 223 BC. e. re-recognized the hegemony of the Macedonian king (Antigone III Doson). Then there was the Allied War (220-217 BC) and the 1st Macedonian War (215-204 BC), and then Rome came into play (before that, it was busy with its own problems , fighting with the Carthaginian army of Hannibal). Rome won the sympathy of the Achaean oligarchy, convincing them that it would free the Hellenes from Macedonian dependence. In the 2nd Macedonian War (199-197 BC), Rome won and forced the Macedonian king Philip V to give up all Greek possessions. At the Isthmian Games, the Roman commander Titus Quintius Flamininus solemnly announced the "freedom of the Hellenes" and put Corinth at the head of the new Achaean Union. However, in the 3rd Macedonian War, the Achaeans did not support the Romans: adhering to neutrality, they hoped that Rome and Macedonia would weaken each other and Greece would finally be able to pursue a more independent policy. When Macedonia was defeated and turned into a Roman province, the sympathies of the Achaeans were on the side of the Macedonians. As they say, choose the lesser of two evils. But it was too late: Rome no longer needed the Achaean Union and was doomed. In 147, the Roman ambassador announced the decree of the Senate on the “liberation of the cities”, that is, on the exclusion from the Achaean Union of cities “unrelated to the Achaeans” - Sparta, Argos, Orchomenus and even Corinth! Everywhere began anti-Roman unrest, almost a revolution. The Corinthians were outraged, pogroms began, the Roman embassy hastily left the city.
The general battle between the Achaean and Roman troops took place at Levkopetra on the Isthma near Corinth in 146 BC. e. The Achaean Union was defeated. The Roman commander Lucius Mummius ordered the slaughter of all Corinthian men, and the children and women were sold into slavery. In memory of that city, only the fortress of Acrocorinth and several columns of the temple of Apollo remained.
The life of Corinth, Julius Glory (this was the official name) was revived a century later by order of Julius Caesar. In 44 BC. e. the city was rebuilt as the capital of the Roman province of Achaia (southern Greece). It was a completely Romanized city inhabited by Italians, Greeks and Jews (in 51 AD, the Apostle Paul preached in the Corinthian synagogue for a year and a half, leaving behind a large Christian community; this was the very beginning of his missionary activity). In the Roman period, Corinth again overshadowed Athens and, in general, all the cities of Hellas. Unlike ancient Greek buildings, ancient Roman Corinth is well preserved. Even the ancient tribune in the center of the agora has been preserved, from which the Apostle Paul once preached. All the most interesting finds are collected in the archaeological museum of Corinth.
At the beginning of our era, Corinth suffered several times from earthquakes and barbarian invasions (the Heruli in 267, the Goths of Aparih in 395). There was a period of decline with a short revival under the Byzantine emperor Justinian, who restored some of the buildings and built a 10-km Examilion wall across the entire isthmus to protect against invasions from the north. In the Middle Ages, the fortress of Acrocorinth passed from hand to hand: it was alternately owned by the Byzantines, Normans, Franks, Venetians and Turks. The temple of Aphrodite was turned first into a Christian church, then into a mosque. In 1858 Old Corinth was destroyed by a strong earthquake. They did not begin to restore it, but built New Corinth a little to the side.
ATTRACTION
Natural:
- Acro-corinth rock,
- Fountain of the Pyrenees on Acrocorinth.
Antique:
- The seven columns of the archaic temple, the cisterns of the Glavka fountain carved into the rock, the ruins of the Roman period - all that remained in sight before the start of the excavations.
- The remains of the walls of the ancient city, connected with the walls, with a total length of about 16 km.
- Two city harbors - Kenkhrei on the Saronic Gulf and Lechei on the shores of the Gulf of Corinth
- Remains of the paved Lehei road with covered sidewalks.
- Portico of captives with colossal figures of captive barbarians (2nd century BC)
- Tribune in the northern agora (the apostle Paul preached from it).
- Remains of the Julius Basilica with statues.
- 165-meter South and North-West stand (long gallery-portico with a double row of Ionic columns) with benches and wells.
- Forum (square with shops and administrative buildings, including the Senate building).
- Temples of the Roman era; the ruins of the indoor theater of the Odeon; public baths.
Modern:
- Corinth Canal.
- Architectural Museum of Corinth with interesting finds from archaeological excavations.
CURIOUS FACTS
Ancient Greek geographer II century. n. e. Pausanias in the book "Description of Hellas" cites the Corinthian myth about the dispute between Poseidon, the sea, and Helios, the sun. The judge in this case was Briareus, one of the Hekatoncheirs, who decided that the Isthmus of Corinth belongs to Poseidon, and Acrocorinth to Helios. From the same book: “They say that the spring behind the temple was a gift from Asop to Sisyphus. According to legend, the latter knew that Asop's daughter Aegina was kidnapped by Zeus, but refused to give any information until he got a source for himself in Acrocorinth.
According to an ancient Greek legend popularized by Euripides, Jason wished to marry Glaucus, the daughter of the Corinthian king, and abandoned Medea. She took revenge on all offenders and disappeared on a winged chariot drawn by dragons sent by her grandfather Helios (or Hecate). The playwright's contemporaries argued that Euripides attributed the killing of the boys to their mother, and not to the Corinthians, as earlier versions of the legend claimed, for a huge bribe. In this way the Corinthians tried to purify the good name of the city.
More than a thousand priestesses served at the Corinthian temple of the goddess of love Aphrodite. They served in a peculiar way, with their bodies, essentially differing little from prostitutes.
In Corinth, Alexander the Great met the Cynic philosopher Diogenes. According to legend, the king invited Diogenes to ask him for whatever he wanted, and the philosopher replied, “Do not block the sun for me.”
The Corinthian order, one of the three Greek architectural orders, is an Ionic order rich in decoration (stylized acanthus leaves). Vitruvius reports that the Corinthian order was invented by the sculptor Callimachus from Corinth in the 2nd half of the 5th century BC. e. The prototype of the new warrant was the basket with her things seen by the sculptor in the cemetery, on the grave of a recently deceased girl. Therefore, the Corinthian order is also called maiden (in contrast to the male Doric and female Ionic).
Attempts to dig the Corinth Canal have been going on since ancient times. After the Corinthian tyrant Periander (307 BC), first Julius Caesar, then Caligula, took care of the canal construction plans, and Nero even started grandiose work, driving 6,000 slaves to build the canal. But because of the uprising in Rome, he had to give up everything, and his successor covered the expensive project.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Location: an ancient Greek policy and a modern city (5 km from the ancient one) on the Isthmian (Corinthian) isthmus, connecting the Peloponnese peninsula with mainland Greece.
Administrative affiliation: the capital of the prefecture (noma) of Corinthia, Greece.
Ancient name: Aether.
Date of foundation: the first settlement appeared in the Neolithic; the ancient Greek policy was founded presumably in 1514 BC. e.
Destroyed by the Romans in 146 BC. e.
Roman Corinth, Julius Glory - founded in 44 BC. e. Destroyed by an earthquake in 1858
Archaeological excavations have been carried out since 1929.
Language: Greek.
Religion: Orthodoxy.
Ethnic composition: Greeks.
Monetary unit: euro.
NUMBERS
Old Corinth
Population: up to 500 thousand mel. in the Roman era.
The length of the walls of the ancient city: approx. 16 km.
New Corinth
Area: 102.2 km2.
Population: 58,280 (2011)
Population density: 570.3 people / km 2.
Distance from Athens: 78 km. Corinth Canal (built in 1881-1893): length 6346 m, width at sea level - 24.6 m, depth 8 m, slope height up to 79 m.
CLIMATE
Mediterranean, mild wet winters and hot dry summers.
The average temperature in January: +10 "C.
The average temperature in July: +28 "C.
Average annual rainfall: 400 mm.
(Greek)
Modern Corinth was rebuilt after the earthquake of 1858, three kilometers northeast of the ruined city; to the northeast of the modern city, the Corinth Canal was laid (built 1881-93; length - 6.3 km, width - 22 m, depth - 8 m), overlooking the Saronic Gulf near the city of Isthmia.
Story
prehistoric era
Periandra is sometimes referred to as the seven wise men. During his reign, the first Corinthian coins were minted, for the first time an attempt was made to create a canal through the Isthmian isthmus, which would allow ships to enter directly from the Corinthian to the Saronic Gulf. The project was never implemented due to the difficulties of its technical implementation, however, instead of the canal, Diolk was created - dragged across the Isthmus of Corinth. The golden age of Corinth was the Kypselid era, which ended with the reign of Periander's nephew Psammetichus, named after the Egyptian Pharaoh Hellenophile Psammetichus I. Psammetichus was killed during a conspiracy in the third year of his reign, and an oligarchic system was established in Corinth.
During this period, the Corinthian order developed, the third order of classical ancient Greek architecture after the Ionic and Dorian. The design of its capital was the most complex and magnificent of the three, reflecting the wealth and wasteful lifestyle of the citizens of the policy, in contrast to the severity and simplicity of the Dorian order, corresponding to the rule of life of the Spartans (the Corinthians, like the Spartans, were Dorians), while the Ionic order expressed a balance between the first two orders, embodying the idea of measure among the Ionians.
Then there was a saying: οὐ παντὸς πλεῖν ἐς Κόρινθον » ( ou pantos plein es Korinthon), which literally translates as “Not everyone can swim in Corinth” - life in the city was very expensive. The city was famous for the temple of prostitutes dedicated to the goddess of love Aphrodite; they served wealthy merchants and influential government officials in the city or traveling with them outside of it. The most famous of them, Laisa, had the reputation of being gifted with outstanding abilities in her field and charging the highest fee for her services.
The city owned two ports, one on the coast of the Corinthian, the other on the Saronic Gulf, open to trade routes, respectively, of the western and eastern Mediterranean. Through Lechayon, located on the shores of the Gulf of Corinth, communication was carried out with the western colonies ( ἀποικία
- eviction) and Magna Graecia, and ships from Athens, Ionia, Cyprus, and the Levant regions came to Kenkhrei. Both harbors had docks to support the city-state's large fleet.
Roman time
The commander of the Roman Republic, Lucius Mummius of Achaia, destroyed the city after a siege in 146 BC. e. ; Entering Corinth, Mummius put the men to the sword, sold the women and children into slavery, and set fire to the city. For the victory over the Achaean Union, he received the Achaean cognomen. Archaeological evidence suggests that even after the devastation there was a small settlement here, until in 44 BC. e. , shortly before his death, Julius Caesar did not recreate the city under the name Colonia laus Iulia Corinthiensis. Appian writes that the new settlers were Roman freedmen. Corinth was later the seat of the government of the province of Achaea (according to the Acts of the Apostles). The city was distinguished by wealth, and the population - by vicious morals and a love of luxury. The population was mixed and consisted of Romans, Greeks and Jews.
Paul also wrote two letters to the Christian community of Corinth; in the first epistle, the complexity of the existence of the Christian community in this multinational city is noted.
Byzantine time
Corinth was destroyed by earthquakes and 551. Alaric I during the invasion of Greece - plundered the city, and sold many of the inhabitants into slavery. Under Justinian I, a stone wall stretched from the Saronic to the Corinthian Gulf, protecting the city and the entire Peloponnese from invasions from the north. The length of the structure, called the Examilion, was about ten kilometers. At that time, the administration of the Hellas theme was located in Corinth, which roughly coincided in territory with modern Greece. In the XII century, under the Komnenos dynasty, the city became rich on the silk trade with the countries of Western Europe, the wealth of the city attracted Roger of Sicily, who ravaged Corinth in 1147.
Achaean principality
After the breaking of resistance, Corinth became part of the Achaean principality, which was ruled by the Villarduenes from their capital Andravida, located in the region of Elis. Corinth was the closest significant city to the border with another crusader state, the Principality of Athens.
In the Ottoman Empire
Modern Corinth
In 1858, the old city, located on the site of ancient Corinth, was completely destroyed by an earthquake, now it is known as Αρχαία Κόρινθος
- Ancient Corinth. The new city was founded three kilometers to the northeast, on the coast of the Gulf of Corinth.
Corinth is the second most populated city in the periphery of the Peloponnese after Kalamata, whose population is 53,659 people (). According to the 1991 census, 28,071 people lived in the city, according to the 2001 census - 30,434 people, that is, in ten years the increase was 8.4%. Between 1991 and 1991, the population growth here was one of the highest in the country.
The population of the municipal district of Corinth in 2001 was 36,991 inhabitants. There are settlements in the district: Ancient Corinth, located three kilometers from the center of the new city, at the foot of the Acrocorinth rock, on the site of ancient and medieval Corinth, with a population of 1,770 people, Examilia - 1,567 people, Xylokeriza - 777 people and Solomos - 686 people .
Due to its position on the isthmus connecting the Peloponnese and the rest of Greece, Corinth is a hub for transportation. The Corinth Canal, crossing the Isthmian Isthmus, provides water transport links between the western Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea. From the north, a port adjoins the city, providing for the needs of local industry and agriculture, mainly exporting goods.
Corinth is also a major industrial center. The oil refinery complex, considered one of the largest in the eastern Mediterranean, is located 12 kilometers northeast of the city. Enterprises' products include copper cables, petroleum products, medical equipment, marble, gypsum, ceramic tiles, salt, mineral waters and drinks, meat products, and gum. To date, the process of deindustrialization has begun, paper complex enterprises, a textile factory and a meat products packaging plant have curtailed their production.
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Notes
Literature
- Shatalov A. V. 2010: : Auth. diss ... Ph.D. Stavropol.
Links
An excerpt characterizing CorinthThe guest, forced to admire the family scene, considered it necessary to take some part in it.“Tell me, my dear,” she said, turning to Natasha, “how do you have this Mimi? Daughter, right? Natasha did not like the tone of condescension to the childish conversation with which the guest turned to her. She did not answer and looked seriously at the guest. Meanwhile, all this young generation: Boris - an officer, the son of Princess Anna Mikhailovna, Nikolai - a student, the eldest son of the count, Sonya - the fifteen-year-old niece of the count, and little Petrusha - the youngest son, all settled in the living room and, apparently, tried to keep within the boundaries of decency animation and gaiety that still breathed in every feature. It was evident that there, in the back rooms, whence they had all come running so swiftly, they had more cheerful conversations than here about city gossip, the weather, and comtesse Apraksine. [about Countess Apraksina.] From time to time they glanced at each other and could hardly restrain themselves from laughing. Two young men, a student and an officer, friends since childhood, were of the same age and both were handsome, but did not resemble each other. Boris was a tall, blond youth with regular, delicate features of a calm and handsome face; Nikolai was a short curly young man with an open expression. Black hairs were already showing on his upper lip, and swiftness and enthusiasm were expressed all over his face. Nikolai blushed as soon as he entered the living room. It was evident that he was searching and did not find what to say; Boris, on the contrary, immediately found himself and told calmly, jokingly, how he knew this Mimi doll as a young girl with an unspoiled nose, how she had grown old in his memory at the age of five, and how her head had cracked all over her skull. Having said this, he looked at Natasha. Natasha turned away from him, looked at her younger brother, who, closing his eyes, was shaking with soundless laughter, and, unable to restrain himself any longer, jumped and ran out of the room as quickly as her quick legs could carry. Boris didn't laugh. - You, it seems, also wanted to go, maman? Do you need a card? he said, addressing his mother with a smile. “Yes, go, go, tell them to cook,” she said, pouring herself. Boris went quietly out the door and followed Natasha, the fat boy angrily ran after them, as if annoyed at the disorder that had occurred in his studies. Of the young people, not counting the eldest daughter of the countess (who was four years older than her sister and already behaved like a big one) and the guests of the young lady, Nikolai and Sonya's niece remained in the drawing room. Sonya was a thin, petite brunette with a soft look tinted with long eyelashes, a thick black plait that twined around her head twice, and a yellowish tint of skin on her face and especially on her naked, thin, but graceful muscular arms and neck. With her fluidity of movement, the softness and suppleness of her small limbs, and her somewhat cunning and restrained manner, she resembled a beautiful, but not yet formed kitten, who would be a lovely kitty. She apparently considered it proper to show participation in the general conversation with a smile; but against her will, her eyes from under long thick eyelashes looked at her cousin [cousin] leaving for the army with such girlish passionate adoration that her smile could not deceive anyone for a moment, and it was clear that the cat sat down only to jump more energetically and play with your cousin, as soon as they, like Boris and Natasha, get out of this living room. When Natasha came out of the living room and ran, she only ran as far as the flower shop. In this room she stopped, listening to the conversation in the living room and waiting for Boris to come out. She was already beginning to get impatient and, stamping her foot, was about to cry because he was not walking right away, when not quiet, not quick, decent steps of a young man were heard. The countess was so tired of the visits that she did not order to receive anyone else, and the porter was only ordered to call everyone who would still come with congratulations to eat without fail. The Countess wanted to talk face to face with her childhood friend, Princess Anna Mikhailovna, whom she had not seen well since her arrival from Petersburg. Anna Mikhailovna, with her tearful and pleasant face, moved closer to the countess's chair. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Traveling on my own to the Peloponnese allowed me to get from Athens to Corinth, see the beaches and sights of Corinth, learn about cruises on the Corinth Canal, find out where to eat in Corinth; if you want to know more - read the story about the journey through the ancient cities
When you read books on the history of Ancient Greece, the campaigns of the hoplites seem to be a non-trivial matter: the Athenians took up arms and went to war against Corinth. They fell on hard trials along the way, many fell behind, others even fell ill ... When you read about the campaign, you empathize with the soldiers, but when you yourself decided to get from Athens to Corinth, you begin to be amazed: both cities are separated by eighty kilometers, there the bus takes about an hour, so why did the ancient Greeks walk for so long? .. And what did they not divide among themselves ?!
Of course, this is how modern people argue, accustomed to moving and flying, when in a few hours you jump from one continent to another. In ancient times, people felt the world differently, and petty squabbles, which may seem like wars between the policies of Hellas, were actually considered global events. Now Corinth seems to be a peaceful, quiet backwater, and at one time he took the liveliest part in the Greek wars.
Corinth, located in a strategically important place at the junction of Attica and the Peloponnese, for many centuries conducted a successful trade and periodically became the richest and most prosperous of the Greek policies. Corinthian merchants scurried all over the Mediterranean, they even founded the prosperous colony of Naucratis in Egypt. Alas, the geographical position provided the city not only with prosperity, but also with problems - every time when Sparta and Athens, two important centers of gravity in the Greek world, sorted out the relationship, Corinth found itself at a crossroads. The Athenians did not need an independent rival port at hand, and the harsh Spartans looked disapprovingly at the prosperity of their neighbors, who arranged, in particular, a temple with prostitutes. Sometimes the Corinthians blocked with one side, sometimes they supported the other, and were systematically beaten. The history of the Corinthian War will pass for a detective story with unexpected plot twists. The strife ended with the arrival of Philip of Macedon, who subdued all of Greece.
When the power of the Macedonians weakened and the wars of the Diadochi began, dividing the power of Alexander the Great, the Greeks were startled, dreaming of their former independence. The Corinthians paid especially cruelly for these dreams after the arrival of the Romans, who defeated the Achaean Union and completely destroyed the city - the male population was slaughtered, everyone else was sold into slavery.
Although Corinth began to slowly recover, it never managed to achieve its former greatness, and after several terrifying earthquakes, the locals felt that the gods had ceased to favor them. Finally, people left the place where the rich city stood in 1858, when a new Corinth was founded, arranged in a modern way. That's where I went after a holiday in the resort of Loutraki.
Everyone who expects to get to Corinth from Athens should remember that intercity buses do not call directly into the city, and regardless of whether they go in transit or have their final stop in Corinth, they still drop off passengers at the bus station, from which The center is about 7 kilometers away. Well, every cloud has a silver lining, and landing in such a remote place allows you to get acquainted with the Corinth Canal, located at your side.
Many have dreamed of laying such an artery connecting the Ionian and Aegean Seas since ancient times. Plans to dig a canal through the Isthmus of Corinth were hatched, in particular, by Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar, not to mention smaller figures. The strip of land separating the two seas is no wider than six kilometers, but if you walk on the water around the Peloponnesian Peninsula, you will have to overcome four hundred kilometers. Attempts to dig a canal were made more than once, and success came to the builders only in the last quarter of the 19th century. When looking at the canal from one of the bridges suspended above it, the reason for the failures becomes clear: the gigantic amount of work required a deepening of 76 meters, and with a canal width of 20 meters, this meant 12 million cubic meters of shoveled rock, moreover, hard rock. Only when modern technology for that century was used did man triumph over nature.
Cruises on the Corinth Canal are quite popular, although, to be honest, there is simply nothing to watch during the trip, two stone walls overhead, and that's it. There is another popular entertainment in the canal zone, bungee jumping, in a simple way, bungee. Those wishing to experience an adrenaline rush can jump upside down and try to touch the water seventy meters below the starting point. The office that arranges extreme jumps is called Zulu Bungy, she has her own website on the Internet, so it's easy to find out how much it costs to jump into the Corinth Canal today and when you can do it. It seems that lately prices have reached the level of 60 euros ... I note that the attraction is closed from November to February and does not work on Monday and Tuesday, and sometimes on Wednesdays too. The Greeks do not like to bother themselves, what is there ...
Returning to the Corinth bus station, it is worth noting that this building is not at all adapted for the needs of passengers, most of it is occupied by a cafe, and all other visitors must huddle outside, because the remaining space is only enough for the ticket office and a few standing in line. Personally, I preferred to wait for the flight to Argos next to the bus station, finding a little bit on the side where the sunlight fell.
For those wishing to follow my example, I will point out that there are no signs signaling the arrival of a particular flight, so you need to constantly monitor the situation. Delays are the rule rather than the exception, and if you want, say, to get from Corinth to Athens or somewhere else on time, it’s better to guard the buses at the entrance to the station, it will be more reliable.
There is some entertainment for those who are waiting on the opposite side of the road to Corinth from the station - there are shopping arcades where you can buy inexpensive souvenirs from Greece. In any case, I got hold of beautiful postcards with views of the canal just in a store with the simple name "Canal souvenirs". I also remember a large collection of photo albums about Hellas and various guides to Greece, including in Russian.
As I said, the Corinth bus station and Corinth itself share a decent distance, which is best covered by a local bus; the fare cost 1.60 euros, now, probably, the prices have grown. You can also move around the city on foot, but if you are interested in how to get to the ancient part of Corinth, then you need a bus with the Arxaia sign. It is realistic to catch him right on the street, and yet it will be more reliable to first arrive at the suburban bus station and make a transfer there. The required terminal is located on Dimokratias Street, it is next to the yacht port, a railway line can become a landmark. By the way, it has long been abandoned and overgrown with weeds, as well as the railway station. The bus terminal also does not shine with novelty, well, at least there is no weeds inside ...
The bus station is also good because a schedule of suburban flights is posted near it, including those that can get you to the archaeological zone of Corinth. Therefore, I recommend getting here, not limited to waiting on the central square of the city: of course, all local buses stop there, and there is an automatic kiosk selling tickets, but it’s still safer to sit on the ring, and you can get advice at the box office. Yes, the fare is paid by the driver if necessary, but it seemed to me that the Greeks are not too disposed to break away from the steering wheel to sell tickets, so they like the rich passengers much more.
An interesting way to see the most important sights of Corinth, including the excavation area, is to rent bicycles. As far as I understand, the rental system was put into operation relatively recently, at that time they had not yet had time to debug it properly. It was possible to rent bicycles only on the main square of Corinth, other stations did not catch my eye during the walks. I'm not sure that the initiative of the local authorities has a future, at least in this form: to get a two-wheeled horse for a day cost 7 euros, this price is quite high for Greece. Again, there is not much point in riding around the city, the ends are small everywhere. Of course, by bike you can get to the Corinth Canal, as well as to the ruins of old Corinth, but the bus ride in both cases will be cheaper, and pedaling in the heat is still a pleasure. So the future of the rental system seems vague to me ...
I started my exploration of the area from the main square, which bears the name Plateia Kentriki. This place is pleasant, well-groomed, although crowded. In fact, here we have the front facade of the city, on the square there is a local city hall and other administrative buildings, solid, decorated with marble and columns. On the side stands a monument to the Archbishop of Damascus, a well-known figure in the history of Greece. The center of the space is occupied by a small square, where the townspeople like to relax, and where tables of several cafes are set. The square looks especially picturesque in the evening, when the lights are turned on and the area is transformed…
The sights of Corinth are not of great value, at least if you put them on a par with the local Archaeological Museum, located in the excavation area. So if you want cultural treasures, it’s better to go outside the cities, and the Folk Museum of Corinth is aimed at introducing the guest of Greece to its ethnography. Within its walls are collected hundreds of folk costumes, accessories and jewelry, all kinds of household goods. Considering that the collection of clothes was collected all over Hellas, you should definitely look into the museum, because the entrance will cost only 2 euros, and you are allowed to take pictures inside for free.
The museum is located at the junction of the popular Ermou shopping street and the city promenade, so you still have to go to those parts. The sea coast of Corinth looks for the most part very good, especially in the Agiou Nikolaou area. There, the embankment is properly equipped, there are flower beds, benches, a good view of the Gulf of Corinth opens from the water's edge, masts of yachts from the nearby marina add picturesque scenery.
Entrepreneurs of Corinth, closely connected with the sea, could not ignore such a lucrative source of income as water excursions. From the piers of the city, boats leave for a cruise along the Corinth Canal, there are also trips along the Ionian Sea, one- and two-hour. Periodically, long voyages along the coast of the Peloponnese are also arranged with the arrival in the famous Epidaurus with its world-famous theater. In a word, stock up on money and find out the details about cruises from Corinth on the city embankment.
If the Corinthian sea facade looks prettier than the Loutrak one, then the beaches of Corinth lose out to their neighbors. It is good that sand is found in these parts in some places, and not entirely pebbles, as in Loutraki, but the resort strip is being removed, while the beach of Corinth is thoroughly littered. Both cities are related by the fact that umbrellas and sun loungers are paid, although Loutraki provides a much larger selection of options. Personally, I had a good time on the city embankment, sitting on a bench under the breeze from the sea and enjoying the winter sun, but the beaches of Corinth did not leave a pleasant impression on me ...
What else can I say about the beautiful places and sights of Corinth ... You can visit Apostolou Pavlou Street, where there is an interesting object for tourists, St. Paul's Cathedral. It looks very good, even though it was built only in 1928, that is, by local standards, an obvious remake. The impressive temple looks good, having a certain set of features of the Byzantine style. It’s good to take a walk around the town, looking at the houses of local residents and marveling at the oranges hanging freely from the branches of trees; for me, fruit-studded orange trees are in the middle of winter! – became the most vivid memory from a visit to Greece…
To complete the picture, it would be necessary to slightly touch on the topic of where you can eat in Corinth. I personally didn’t like the local catering points, even the fish restaurants on the embankment looked somehow undignified. So I limited myself to snacking on little things. At the beginning of the walk, I went to a small cafe "Freddo", which is located in the same place as the bus station, from where buses run to old Corinth, tried a cappuccino for 1.30 euros. Then I ran into a Fournos bakery selling delicious pastries - standing at a bus stop waiting for a bus and still sniffing the smell of cinnamon from the open doors. In the end, I could not stand it, took a couple of buns and a fresh baguette, which I ate even before arriving at the Corinth bus station, before it was delicious ...
I also remember Domino's Pizza on Georgiou Papandreou Street. It is clear that in Greece, famous for its cuisine, eating pizza is not at all comme il faut, but here is a special case - you can eat very inexpensively. In Corinth, this option is rare, and if you pay 13 euros , you get a huge plate, from which three or four people can easily feed.Although the surroundings of "Domino" s Pizza "looks like an eatery, it is quite possible to look there for a cheap lunch.
During my impromptu tour of Corinth, I, as usual, did not forget to evaluate local shops. I want to say that Corinthian shopping, perhaps, outperforms Loutrak, here, for example, souvenirs are much cheaper. So, magnets with views of the sights of the Peloponnese cost only 1 euro, for 3 euros, cute beaded wallets were sold. To find such prices for Greek souvenirs, you need to comb Kolokotroni street and Ermou street, which is always parallel to it. I spotted several useful shops at once, and between them, on a segment of Adeimantou Street, there was a generally excellent place called "Beso" - they asked for only 3 euros for rubber slippers for the beach, summer sandals were sold for five, and women's sandals were inexpensive.
On the same Adeimantou, by the way, there is the only supermarket I discovered - I don’t even know where the inhabitants of Corinth buy food. So, in extreme cases, keep in mind house 38 with the Kritikos office, even if its prices are lower than criticism: a liter of juice for 2 euros should be considered a robbery if there were alternatives ... Wine, and even then it costs a little more ...
New Corinth I found a good town, quite picturesque, although a greater variety of landscapes was expected. However, the picture was repeated on the same day a little later, when I
Ancient city of Corinth
Acquaintance with the history and sights of Greece is best to start with the ancient city of Corinth. It is located on the isthmus of the same name, connecting Peloponnese island and mainland Greece. According to historians and archaeologists, Corinth is considered the first settlement on the territory of modern Hellas. An interesting fact is that under the name there are two cities located at a distance of three kilometers from each other. One of them, a modern city, was restored not far from the Ancient one relatively recently (XIX century) after a devastating earthquake. The greatest historical, architectural, cultural and natural attraction is Old Corinth, which has long become a natural open-air museum. Today, the city is not inhabited, but in ancient times, due to its favorable geographical position, it was of strategic importance, since it had access to two bays - Saronic and Corinthian.
History of Corinth
Sufficiently detailed references to Corinth can be found in the Apostle Paul, who arrived here in 51 AD. The city that he saw was rebuilt just a century ago by Julius Caesar almost from ruins, but its size was more than 5 times larger than Athens.
Ancient Corinth, founded in the 10th century BC, was the richest port and the largest city in ancient greece. The strategic location made it possible to maintain complete control over the narrow isthmus connecting Peloponnese peninsula with mainland Greece. In addition, the city was a powerful trading center, which carried out the exchange of goods coming from two ports located near the isthmus.
A big problem for the sea vessels of that time was the need to completely go around the Peloponnese in order to get to another part of the Mediterranean Sea. Several attempts were made to build a sea canal across the isthmus, but due to the lack of suitable tools, such undertakings were doomed to failure. Around 625-585 BC, the ruler of Corinth, Periander, ordered the construction of a stone road that would connect both banks of the isthmus. This made it possible to transport small ships and boats, installing them on wheels, or towing them along the road on logs.
Attempts to connect the Aegean with the Ionian were made repeatedly, and were accompanied by constant failures. The lack of progress was justified by the fact that the god of the seas, Poseidon, opposes such an undertaking, and threatens to bring down his punishment on people who encroach on his possessions. In 66 B.C. notorious roman Emperor Nero also tried to start building a canal. He delivered 6,000 slaves, who still failed to complete the task. It is worth noting that Nero also "actively" took part in the construction - while the army of slaves worked under the scorching sun, he was inspired to pick in the ground with a golden shovel to the sound of music.
When the Roman Empire began to demand the immediate dissolution of the Achaean League, the leaders of Corinth began to actively resist the conquerors. Seeing that it would not be possible to take the city without blood, the Roman consul Lucius Mummius ordered to raze it to the ground. In 146 BC. Corinth was completely destroyed, its male population was killed, and women and children were sold into slavery. Only a few of the wealthy families managed to escape to the island of Delos.
Over the next hundred years, only a few settlers lived on the site of the previously prosperous city, until in 44 BC. Julius Caesar did not order the restoration of Corinth, giving it the name Colonia laus Iulia Corinthiensis. The city was inhabited by people of different nationalities - here you could see people from Italy, Greece, Syria, Egypt, as well as freed Jewish slaves. Within just a few decades, Corinth managed to regain its former glory and again become the economic center of the country.
Life and life of the inhabitants of Corinth
Historical facts and contemporary evidence indicate that Corinth had a reputation as a "city of sin and vice." This is not particularly surprising, given the location of the city at the intersection of sea and land routes. Merchants of all stripes, sailors, robbers and adventurers constantly gathered in Corinth. However, some researchers of ancient history are of the opinion that such a reputation of the city was the usual slander coming from Athens, the purpose of which was to denigrate history of Corinth. The presence of a thousand women of easy virtue in the temple of Aphrodite, described in the works of Strabo, is also easily refuted by historical facts and excavation materials. Without a doubt, Corinth, like all port cities of that time, had at its disposal a small "army" of prostitutes, but they by no means had a sacred status.
Ancient Corinth can be described as a young, dynamic city, whose inhabitants were not obsessed with the observance of traditions. The streets and squares were filled with people of different nationalities and social status - any of them could either get rich or fall to the very bottom of the social hole. The heart of the city, the forum, was surrounded by temples and shrines built in honor of the Emperor and members of his family, which were adjacent to the temples of the old Greek gods - Apollo, Asclepius, Aphrodite.
Tourist routes of ancient Corinth
From the past grandeur of Corinth virtually nothing has survived today. Ruined arches, the remains of majestic temples, the foundations of houses in which people lived - all this requires a lot of imagination to restore the city's former appearance.
Ancient Corinth was completely destroyed by a strong earthquake that happened in 1858. Given the limited area of the old city and its inconvenient location, it was decided not to restore it, but to move the settlement 3 km in the direction of the isthmus. On the site of ancient Corinth, there is now an open-air museum - here you can see many unique architectural monuments that testify to the significant cultural significance of the city.
Among all the attractions located in the vicinity of the city, the following ones attract the special attention of tourists:
1. Corinth Canal. Although this building is not related to the ancient history of the city, its uniqueness is an excellent reason to come here for at least a couple of hours. Several bridges pass over the canal itself, from which excellent views open.
2. Ruins of the old city. From the outside, it may seem that the remains of ancient Corinth are a random accumulation of stones of various shapes. However, one has only to get closer, as the spirit of history immediately begins to be felt. In the imagination there are images of people who lived, worked and loved here, worshiped their gods and possessed all the qualities inherent in modern man.
3. Temple of Apollo. The columns of this religious building are made in the Doric order, and are distinguished by simplicity and grandeur. To date, only 7 monolithic columns out of 40 have survived, but even they give an idea of the size of the temple.
4. Archaeological Museum of Corinth. Three exhibition halls contain historical artifacts from different eras - from the Neolithic to our time. All of them reflect the stages of the development of the city, the life of its inhabitants, as well as the historical features of the time. Of particular interest to visitors are the "headless" statues - special works of art, the heads of which could be changed, depending on the coming to power of new leaders.
5.Acrocorinth- a fortified hill, on the slopes of which observation towers and fortress walls were erected. In the uppermost part of Acrocorinth, which takes about an hour to climb, there are the ruins of the ancient temple of Aphrodite, later turned into a mosque by the Turks. The observation deck offers a beautiful view of the isthmus and the city.
History and attractions ancient Corinth require special attention, as they are a unique phenomenon. The mixture of nations, cultures and religions led to the emergence of the Greek "Babylon", the wealth and wide opportunities of which attracted people from all over the world. Visiting the ruins of the city, you will be able to see its greatness with your own eyes, feel the spirit of history and touch the time itself.
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Skiathos Island
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