Corinth is about 78 kilometres (48 miles) southwest of Athens. The isthmus, which was in ancient times traversed by hauling ships over the rocky ridge on sledges, is now cut by a canal.

Ancient Corinth

The ruins of ancient Corinth, a short drive from the modern city of Corinth, are spread around the base of the rock of Acrocorinth, which forms a natural acropolis for the city. Most of the surviving buildings are Roman rather than Greek, dating from the city’s prosperous age after Caesar sacked and rebuilt much of the original Greek city. Much of the city has been toppled by recurring earthquakes over the centuries.

On the Acrocorinth itself are ruins of the Temple of Aphrodite, of which little remains. The Temple of Aphrodite had more than 1,000 sacred prostitutes at one time, exemplifying the ancient city’s reputation for luxury and vice. Also on Acrocorinth are the ruins of a stone minaret and ancient defensive walls.

Corinth Canal

The isthmus connecting the Peloponnese and mainland Greece is four miles wide and as early as the 6th century B.C., work was begun to dig a canal connecting the Corinthian and Saronic gulfs. This project failed but a paved road (the diolkos) was constructed about 600 B.C. to allow light ships to be hauled overland. The canal is 6.3 kilometre in length and was built between 1881 and 1893.

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Photos of Corinth