About Ancient Corinth

Ancient Corinth was one of the most important cities of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds. Located on the narrow Isthmus of Corinth, between mainland Greece and the Peloponnese, the city occupied a strategic position between major land and sea routes. This location helped Corinth develop into a powerful center of trade, craftsmanship, colonization, politics, and, centuries later, early Christianity.

Today, the archaeological site brings together remains from different periods of Corinthian history, including the imposing Temple of Apollo, the Roman Forum, the Fountain of Peirene, Lechaion Road, the Bema traditionally associated with Saint Paul, and many other Greek and Roman monuments.

Ancient Corinth at a Glance

• Location: Isthmus of Corinth, northeastern Peloponnese
• Earliest archaeological remains: Early Neolithic period, approximately 6500–5750 BC
• Beginning of continuous settlement: approximately 1000 BC
• Major period of Greek prosperity: especially the 8th–6th centuries BC
• Roman destruction: 146 BC
• Roman refoundation: 44 BC by Julius Caesar
• Major monuments: Temple of Apollo, Roman Forum, Peirene Fountain, Lechaion Road and the Bema
• Early Christian importance: closely associated with Saint Paul and the Christian community of Corinth
• Nearby landmark: Acrocorinth, the fortified acropolis overlooking the ancient city

Why Ancient Corinth Was So Important

The importance of Corinth was closely connected with geography. The city stood near the narrow land bridge joining the Peloponnese with mainland Greece and had access to both the Gulf of Corinth to the west and the Saronic Gulf to the east.

This exceptional position allowed the Corinthians to participate in trade moving between different parts of the Mediterranean while also controlling an important overland route. Ancient sources and modern archaeology both demonstrate how geography contributed to the wealth and influence of the city.

Corinth became particularly famous for commerce, pottery, craftsmanship and maritime activity. Its connections extended far beyond the surrounding region, making the city one of the major commercial centers of the ancient Greek world.

From Neolithic Settlement to Archaic City

Archaeological investigations at Corinth have uncovered remains dating to the Early Neolithic period, approximately 6500–5750 BC. These early finds show that people were active in the area thousands of years before the rise of the famous Greek city.

However, these discoveries should not be interpreted as evidence that Corinth was continuously inhabited from 6500 BC. Archaeological evidence places the beginning of continuous settlement at approximately 1000 BC.

During the following centuries, Corinth grew rapidly. By the 8th and 7th centuries BC, it had become an increasingly important political, commercial and colonial power. Corinthian pottery circulated widely throughout the Mediterranean, while Corinth participated in the foundation of important colonies, including Corcyra, modern Corfu, and Syracuse in Sicily.

Corinth as a Commercial Power

The prosperity of Ancient Corinth was based on much more than agriculture. Its craftsmen produced pottery and other goods that were traded widely, while merchants benefited from the city's position between two seas.

Corinth maintained connections with communities throughout the Greek world and the wider Mediterranean. Its commercial influence became particularly strong during the Archaic period, when Corinthian products were exported across a vast area.

The city also controlled routes across the Isthmus, making Corinth an important meeting point for travelers, merchants, soldiers and sailors moving between central Greece, the Peloponnese and overseas destinations.

The Temple of Apollo

One of the most recognizable monuments of Ancient Corinth is the Temple of Apollo, built around the middle of the 6th century BC.

Standing on an elevated area overlooking the later Roman Forum, the temple is one of the most important surviving monuments from Greek Corinth. Its massive Doric columns provide a striking reminder of the city's prosperity during the Archaic period.

The Temple of Apollo is particularly important because much of the archaeological area visible today reflects the later Roman city. The temple therefore provides a monumental link to Corinth's earlier Greek past and has remained one of the dominant features of the landscape since antiquity.

The Roman Destruction of 146 BC

A major turning point in the history of Corinth came in 146 BC.

After the conflict between Rome and the Achaean League, the Roman general Lucius Mummius captured and sacked Corinth. The destruction brought the independent Greek city's political life to an abrupt end.

For almost a century afterward, Corinth ceased to function as the major organized urban center it had once been. The surrounding territory remained in use, but the city itself would not experience a true revival until the final years of the Roman Republic.

The Roman Rebirth of Corinth

In 44 BC, Julius Caesar refounded Corinth as a Roman colony under the name Colonia Laus Iulia Corinthiensis.

The city was rebuilt on a large scale and soon regained its importance. Roman Corinth developed into a prosperous administrative and commercial center and later became the capital of the Roman province of Achaia.

The city that visitors see across much of the archaeological site today is therefore largely Roman in character. Public buildings, temples, fountains, shops, basilicas and monumental streets transformed Corinth into one of the most important cities of Roman Greece.

The Roman Forum

At the heart of Roman Corinth was the enormous Roman Forum, the center of public, political, commercial and religious life.

The forum and its surrounding buildings developed over several phases and incorporated both older Greek structures and new Roman architecture. Among the monuments and features associated with this central area are:

• the South Stoa
• Lechaion Road
• Roman basilicas
• temples and shrines
• shops and commercial spaces
• fountains and public monuments
• the Bema or raised speaker's platform

Walking through this area gives visitors a much clearer impression of the scale and importance of Roman Corinth. The remains reveal a city designed not only for commerce but also for administration, religion, public gatherings and civic life.

The Fountain of Peirene

The Fountain of Peirene was one of the most famous water sources of Ancient Corinth and is among the most distinctive monuments preserved at the archaeological site.

The fountain was used and modified over many centuries. During the Roman period it became an elaborate architectural complex, reflecting the importance of monumental fountains in the public life of the city.

Peirene was also closely connected with Greek mythology. According to one well-known tradition, the hero Bellerophon captured the winged horse Pegasus while it was drinking from the waters of Peirene.

The monument therefore combines practical engineering, monumental Roman architecture and the mythological traditions associated with ancient Corinth.

Saint Paul in Ancient Corinth

Ancient Corinth has exceptional importance in the history of early Christianity because of its connection with Saint Paul the Apostle.

According to the Acts of the Apostles, Paul arrived in Corinth during the 1st century AD and remained in the city for approximately 18 months, teaching and preaching while an early Christian community developed there.

Corinth was an ideal location for spreading new ideas. As a wealthy Roman provincial capital with merchants, travelers and residents from different parts of the Mediterranean, the city brought together a remarkably diverse population.

The Christian community established in Corinth became one of the most significant communities associated with Paul's missionary activity. His First and Second Letters to the Corinthians became part of the New Testament and provide an important insight into the challenges, beliefs and organization of an early Christian congregation.

The Bema of Saint Paul

One of the best-known monuments connected with Saint Paul is the Bema, a raised public platform located in the Roman Forum.

The Acts of the Apostles describe Paul being brought before Gallio, the Roman proconsul of Achaia, following accusations made against him in Corinth.

The Bema preserved in the archaeological site is traditionally associated with this episode and has become an important place for visitors interested in the journeys of Saint Paul and the history of early Christianity.

Near the ancient theater, archaeologists also discovered a Latin inscription mentioning a man named Erastus, who paid for paving work in the city. Scholars have long discussed whether this individual could be connected with the Erastus mentioned in the New Testament, although the identification cannot be proven with certainty.

Mythology of Corinth – Sisyphus, Jason and Medea

Like many ancient Greek cities, Corinth was surrounded by a rich collection of myths and heroic traditions. These stories belong to mythology and should be distinguished from the archaeological and historical record.

One of the figures most closely associated with Corinth is Sisyphus, the legendary king famous for the eternal punishment in which he was forced to roll a huge stone uphill, only for it to fall back each time he approached the summit.

Corinth also plays an important role in the story of Jason and Medea. According to Greek mythological tradition, the couple came to Corinth after their adventures connected with the Golden Fleece. The tragic events that followed became the subject of one of the most famous surviving Greek tragedies, Euripides' Medea.

Corinth also appears in ancient Greek epic and heroic traditions connected with the age later associated with the Trojan War. These traditions are valuable for understanding Greek mythology and cultural memory, but they should not be treated as a literal historical chronology of the city.

Acrocorinth

Rising dramatically above Ancient Corinth is Acrocorinth, the fortified acropolis that protected the city and the surrounding region for many centuries.

Its commanding position made it one of the most strategically important fortresses in Greece. The hill controlled routes across the Isthmus and offered extensive views over the surrounding landscape and seas.

Acrocorinth continued to play an important defensive role long after the end of the ancient Greek city. Its fortifications were used, expanded and modified during the Roman, Byzantine, Frankish, Venetian and Ottoman periods.

Near the summit are remains associated with the ancient Sanctuary of Aphrodite, while later Christian and Ottoman buildings illustrate the extraordinarily long history of the fortified hill.

Acrocorinth should therefore be understood not simply as the mountain behind Ancient Corinth but as an essential part of the city's political, religious and military history.

The Archaeological Museum of Ancient Corinth

The Archaeological Museum of Ancient Corinth is located within the archaeological site and helps visitors understand the many different periods represented by the ruins outside.

The museum was originally built in 1932 by the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, whose systematic excavations at Ancient Corinth began in 1896.

Its collections include prehistoric finds, material from the Sanctuary of Asklepios, sculptures, mosaics, inscriptions and objects covering the period from Geometric times through Roman and Byzantine Corinth.

Among the museum's most remarkable exhibits are the Twin Kouroi of Tenea, important examples of Archaic Greek sculpture discovered in the wider Corinthia region.

Ancient Corinth Today

Ancient Corinth is one of the most rewarding archaeological sites to visit near Athens because it preserves evidence from several different periods within the same landscape.

Visitors can encounter the monumental Temple of Apollo from Greek Corinth before walking through the extensive remains of the later Roman city. The Roman Forum, Lechaion Road, Peirene Fountain, Bema, basilicas, temples and public buildings reveal how Corinth changed over the centuries while continuing to benefit from its strategic position.

The nearby Archaeological Museum adds important context to the monuments, while Acrocorinth dominates the landscape above the ancient city.

Systematic archaeological excavations by the American School of Classical Studies at Athens began in 1896 and continue to contribute to our understanding of Corinth and the wider Corinthia region.

Visit Ancient Corinth from Athens

Ancient Corinth can easily be visited from Athens and is one of the most interesting destinations for travelers interested in Greek history, Roman archaeology, mythology and early Christianity.

A visit can also be combined with the Corinth Canal, one of the most impressive landmarks of the Isthmus, as well as other locations connected with the ancient city's history.