• Corinth Canal - The half-day tour of Ancient Corinth begins with a 45-mile journey along the National highway. The tour arrives at the renowned Corinthian Canal, also known as the Isthmus Canal, which links the Saronic Sea with the Corinthian Sea. Although completed in the late 19th century, the canal was a dream for over 2000 years. Prior to its construction, ships in the Aegean Sea aiming to reach the Adriatic or dock in Corinth, a prosperous shipping city, had to navigate around the Peloponnese, adding an extra 185 nautical miles to their voyage. It is believed that Periander, the tyrant of Corinth in 602 BC, first envisioned the Corinth Canal. Due to the complexity of the project and the limited technology of the time, Periander built the diolkós, a stone road that allowed ships to be transported on wheeled platforms. In 67 AD, Emperor Nero attempted to construct the canal with 6,000 slaves, but his assassination halted the plans. The canal was finally completed in the last decade of the 19th century.

• Ancient Corinth (Archaia Korinthos) - According to legend, the first kings of Corinth were descendants of Sisyphus, who was punished by the gods for his arrogance by being forced to roll a massive boulder up a hill, only for it to roll back down each time he neared the top, repeating this task for eternity. Due to the traffic and trade over the Isthmus, the narrow land strip connecting the Peloponnese to mainland Greece and Attica, this ancient city, founded in the 10th century BC, could rival Athens and Thebes in wealth and fame. Until the mid-6th century BC, Corinth’s primary export was black-figured vases, many of which reached various colonies in Magna Graecia. The grand temple on its Acropolis (the Acrocorinth) was dedicated to Aphrodite, making Corinth a significant cult center for the Goddess of Love throughout its history. Some sources claim there were over a thousand temple maidens serving at the Sanctuary of Aphrodite. Corinth was also known for hosting Games similar to those in Olympia, held in Isthmian, hence the name Isthmian Games.

Around 730 BC, the city began founding colonies, such as on the island of Kerkyra (Corfu) and the city of Syracuse in Sicily. In 664 BC, Corinth and Kerkyra clashed in what is now recognized as the first Greek naval battle in history. In the 7th century BC, under the rule of tyrants Kypselos and Periander, Corinth sent out more colonists to establish cities like Poteidaia on the Chalkidiki peninsula, Ambrakia, Apollonia, and Anaktorion, and together with its colony Kerkyra, the cities of Leuka and Epidamnos.

The city played a crucial role in the Persian Wars, joining Athens in the Battle of Salamis with the second-largest fleet contingent. In the Battle of Plataie (479 BC), the city contributed a large contingent. However, tensions arose with Athens when in 462 BC, the Athenian Kimon crossed Corinthian territory without permission. This led to open conflict, where Corinth, allied with Epidaurus, defeated the Athenians at Halieis but later lost a significant naval battle in the Saronic Gulf. About ten years later, in 451 BC, a ceasefire and subsequent peace treaty were established with Athens.

Nevertheless, the dispute persisted and eventually contributed to the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War. When Corinth became involved in the internal political turmoil of the Kerkyrian colony of Epidamnos, its fleet initially suffered a severe defeat. However, in 433 BC, Corinth won the naval battle near the Sybota islands off the coast of Epeiros, prompting Kerkyra to seek assistance from Athens. Consequently, Corinth sided with Sparta. After the Peloponnesian War, facing Sparta’s growing dominance, the city’s government decided to align with the Athenians. This led to the Corinthian War in 394 BC, where Corinth and Athens, along with Thebes and Argos, fought against Sparta. Two years later, Corinth experienced a revolution and became a democracy for the first time in its history. The new government formed a political union with the city-state of Argos. In 390 BC, internal political turmoil nearly led to civil war as many citizens clashed outside the city walls. However, in 386 BC, Sparta restored its dominance over other Greek city-states. The political union between Corinth and Argos was dissolved, and an aristocratic oligarchy, favorable to Sparta’s politics, was established.

In 337 BC, Corinth fell under Macedonian rule. After the assassination of King Philip II of Macedonia in 336 BC, the Federal Assembly in Corinth appointed his son, Alexander the Great, as the commanding general of the military campaign against Persia, which Philip had already planned. During this period, the city was governed by Macedonian noblemen. Corinth became the most populous city in Greece, renowned for its vibrant economic and cultural life. In 243 BCE, the city was attacked and captured by Aratos, the strategist of the Achaean League. Under his leadership, Corinth joined the league, but when its citizens, dissatisfied with his governance, sought help from Spartan King Kleomenes III, Aratos handed control of Corinth to Macedonian King Antigonos III in 224 BCE. The Romans’ victory in the Battle of Kynoskephalai in 197 BCE liberated the Corinthians from Macedonian control, as the Romans forced the Macedonian garrison to withdraw. However, after the Macedonians’ expulsion, Corinth rejoined the Achaean League and adopted a strong anti-Roman stance.

When the Achaean League declared war on Sparta in 146 BCE, a military confrontation with Roman forces became inevitable. The victorious Romans, led by General Lucius Mummius, besieged Corinth, destroyed it, and either killed or enslaved all surviving inhabitants. The area was partially given to Sikyon, while the majority was declared “ager publicus” and allocated to Roman colonists.

Although archaeological evidence suggests a minor revival after Corinth’s destruction in 146 BCE, it took over a century for the city to be re-established in 44 BCE by Gaius Julius Caesar as a Roman colony named “Colonia Laus Iulia Corinthiensis.” According to Roman historian Appianus, the settlers were freedmen from Rome. Under Roman rule, Corinth became the administrative center of the province of Achaea in southern Greece, and for several decades, the city was a Latin-speaking enclave in a Greek environment.

By the 2nd century CE, Corinth became the seat of a diocese, and by the 4th century, it was the seat of a metropolitan bishopric, maintaining this status until Athens’ rise in the early 9th century. In 267 CE, the city was destroyed by the Goths and Herulians’ invasion but was quickly rebuilt. For over a century, Corinth experienced a late flourishing before being plundered and sacked by Alaric I in 395 CE during the Visigoths’ invasion of Greece. Many citizens were sold into slavery. Nevertheless, Corinth managed to recover once more. In 521 CE, the city suffered significant damage from a severe earthquake but was rebuilt by Emperor Justinian I. A few decades later, the Slavic invasions in Greece, beginning around 580 CE, rendered life in the ancient city nearly impossible. It took decades for the city to experience a modest economic resurgence.

In 1147, the Gulf of Corinth became the operational base for Norman Roger II against the region of Arta. Roger soon occupied Corinth and relocated all native silk weavers to Palermo. However, the city was soon reincorporated by Byzantium. In 1202, a high Byzantine official, Leon Sguros, seized control of the city, but his rule ended two years later when participants of the Fourth Crusade captured the city by force. In 1210, Corinth became part of the newly established Principality of Achaia and thus part of the Latin Empire. Over the following years, the city had several rulers, making it the site of bloody battles for influence in southern Greece. From 1421 to 1458, it was under Byzantine control. In 1458, the Ottomans took power in Corinth, which had already become a relatively insignificant city by that time. In 1611, the Knights of the Order of Malta raided Corinth, causing further damage. From 1687 to 1715, the Venetians ruled the city, which had only 1,500 inhabitants. The period of Ottoman rule ended in 1829/1830, and Corinth became Greek once more. At the start of the Greek War of Independence, there was consideration that Corinth should become the capital of the free Hellenic state. On February 21, 1858, the ancient city of Corinth was destroyed by an earthquake and rebuilt six kilometers to the northeast. Today, the village of Archaia Korinthos is located adjacent to and largely on top of the ancient settlement area. Since the advent of tourism in Greece in the 19th century, the ruins of Ancient Corinth, with its temples, fountains, theater, agora, shops, and paved streets, have attracted many visitors.

Temple of Apollo in Corinth
Temple of Apollo

The Temple of Apollo, constructed in the mid-6th century BCE, is perhaps the most famous testament to the ancient city’s grandeur. A distinctive feature of the temple is the use of monolithic columns rather than the more commonly used column drums. Seven columns remain standing today. Although only a small portion of the city’s ruins have been excavated and much has been destroyed during numerous invasions and wars, some remains of the buildings, along with their 2D and 3D archaeological reconstructions, still provide visitors with an idea of what Corinth must have looked like when it was one of the most important Roman cities in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Temple of Apollo in Corinth
Temple of Apollo

Notable is the great agora, likely dating back to the 4th century BCE, which would not have changed much in the following centuries. To the east of the agora, the remains of the Basilica Iulia can be seen, a courthouse built by Emperor Claudius in 44 CE. In the middle of the agora is the so-called “bèma” or “rostrum” - a platform where significant juridical and political decisions were announced to the citizens of Corinth. It is claimed by Christians as the place where the proselytizer Paul was questioned by Gallio, proconsul of the Roman province of Achaea. However, archaeological and historical research has proven this claim to be unsubstantial. Even the very presence of Paul in Corinth and his activities there have become more than doubtful. In the Middle Ages, this place was overbuilt by a church.
Lechaion Road, Corinth
Lechaion Street

In the north of the agora, an elaborately decorated arched gateway from the 1st century CE marked the beginning of the magnificent Lechaion Street, which was preserved in its original state until the 10th century. Even today, the paved street, bordered by galleries featuring shops with products from across the Roman Empire and beyond, is still impressive to walk on. Lechaion Street was a kind of “shopping mile” where almost all public life took place. There is also a well-preserved latrine to admire. During the 11th and 12th centuries, the area around Lechaion Street was where the Byzantine aristocracy of the city built its opulent houses. In the 17th century, the palace of the Ottoman Bey, governor of the city, of which hardly anything remains today, was built north of it.

In the south, the agora is bordered by the 154 m long Stoa, constructed by Philip II of Macedonia after 338 BCE as a guest house for the deputies of the Corinthian Confederation. At the back of it, there were numerous shops. During Roman rule, the southern part of the Stoa served as the administrative seat of the Isthmian Games.

Fountain of Peirene, Corinth
Fountain of Peirene

Next to the arched gateway leading onto Lechaion Street lies the well house of the spring of Peirene, renowned for its clear water. It was lavishly decorated, and its arcades were once adorned with several statues. Poets came to drink from its water in search of inspiration, as the spring was associated with the swift-winged Pegasus.
Roman Odeion, Corinth
Roman Odeion

Also noteworthy are two impressive buildings located to the northwest of the parking and entrance of the archaeological site and museum. The Odeion (or concert hall), dating from the 1st century CE, was significantly enlarged during the 2nd century by Herodes Atticus, known for the Odeion in Athens. The large Greek-period theater (from the 4th century BCE, but with many later alterations) was replaced in the Roman period by an arena-equipped building, where even naval battles, the so-called Naumachiae, could be performed.

• Acrocorinth - Acrocorinth, meaning “Upper Corinth,” is the Acropolis of Ancient Corinth, a monolithic rock overlooking the ancient city of Corinth, Greece. According to George Forrest, “It is the most impressive of the Acropolis of mainland Greece.” Acrocorinth was continuously occupied from archaic times to the early 19th century. Today, Acrocorinth is one of Greece’s most significant medieval castle sites.

• Kechries - After departing Ancient Corinth and having lunch, visitors have the opportunity to explore the remains of the ancient port of Kechries. It was one of Corinth’s two ports and facilitated eastern trade routes via the Saronic Gulf. Apostle Paul arrived at Kechries during his second missionary journey.

• On-board WiFi
• Bottled water
• In-vehicle air conditioning
• Professional Drivers (Not licensed to accompany you into the sites)
• Private transportation

• Snacks
• English-speaking licensed tour guide (Optional / 260 Euros payable in cash).Subject to availability.
• Airport pickup/drop-off on request (additional fee varies by vehicle type)
• Gratuities
• Entrance fees

Explore the historic city of ancient Corinth, renowned for Apostle Paul’s teachings, with a half-day tour departing from Athens.

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• Your English- speaking driver will explain about the ancient monuments that you are about to visit, the ancient history of Greece and interesting facts about historical and modern-day Greece but is not allowed by law to accompany you in the sites. If you wish to have a licensed tour guide to accompany you into the sites, we will help you arrange a licensed tour guide to be with you at an extra cost
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