Ancient Corinth: A hub of arts and commerce

Ιts strategic location and firm hold over the Isthmus, allowed Corinth to become the wealthiest commercial center in the ancient world, until its heated rivalry with Athens gave rise to the Peloponnesian War.

The history of Corinth is riddled with ancient myths and heroes, such as Sisyphus, Bellerophon, Jason and Medea. Between the 7th and 6th centuries BC, the city developed into a major Mediterranean arts center. Its workshops produced goods of exceptional quality that were highly sought after in the bustling markets of antiquity. Corinth also established its dominance by founding colonies and trading posts of great distinction that came hand-in-hand with wealth and power. The Corinthians were sailing the Ionian and the Adriatic Sea, as early as the 8th century BC. They founded many new cities, including Corcyra (Corfu), Lefkada, Ambracia, Epidamnos, Apollonia and even Syracuse in faraway Sicily.

The political and religious life of the city centered around the Temple of Apollo (560 BC) and the Theatre, which were largely unearthed during excavations that began in 1896 and continue to this day. The archaeological site lies in the shadow of Acrocorinth, which served as the fortified acropolis of both ancient and medieval Corinth.

A visit to the Archaeological Museum of Ancient Corinth, built in 1932 by the American School of Classical Studies, is the best way to really understand the big picture – from prehistoric all the way to Byzantine times – and to admire the twin Kouros statues of ancient Tenea, an important pair of Archaic funerary sculptures, a major museum highlight among others.