Ancient Corinth and the temple of Apollo

Nov 15, 2023

in Archaeological site, KORINTHIA, Peloponnese

Go up to the castle Acrocorinth, walk in the archaeological site next to the imposing Temple of Apollo and see the archaeological findings in the archaeological museum of Corinth of ancient Corinth, a city that played an important role in the developments of the Ancient Greece!

The Temple of Apollo in Ancient Corinth

Ancient Corinth

Corinth was one of the most important cities of Archaean Greece. Although it was inhabited from the Neolithic period, its heyday began in the 8th century BC with significant political, military, commercial and cultural activity. The establishment of colonies in the western Mediterranean, most notably those in Sicily helped Corinth to emerge as one of the most important trading powers of the period. Their most decisive colonial move was the founding of the city of Syracuse which became the most important city in Sicily.

The Temple of Apollo in Ancient Corinth

Η Ancient Corinth was an important military member of the Greek Alliance against the invasion of Persian contributing 40 ships to the battle of Salamis and 5,000 soldiers to the battle of Plataea. However, the intense commercial competition with Athens was one of the most important reasons for the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC) and later allied with Athens against Sparta in the Corinthian war (395-387 BC).

The fall of the Ancient Corinth came with the prevalence of Romans in Greek territory and specifically with the invasion of the Roman general Lefkius Mommios in the Peloponnese. Leucius Mommius defeated the Greeks in 146 BC at the Corinth Canal and flattened almost completely the city. In 44 BC the inhabitants return to the city, which of course will never regain its former power and glory. In 52 AD, Corinth was visited by the great king. Apostle Paul during his second apostolic tour in which he writes, among other things, the First and Second Epistles to the Thessalonians. Ο Apostle Paul visited the Corinth and on his third tour during which he wrote "Epistle to the Romans".

Ancient temple of Apollo, Ancient Corinth

The Temple of Apollo

The archaic temple of Apollo is more than 2,500 years old as it was built in 530 BC in Doric style. Today you have the opportunity to admire 7 of the monolithic columns that have withstood the passage of time and the disasters that Ancient Corinth has experienced in its long history. It is worth taking the time to walk around and see the other monuments and findings of the archaeological site and to visit the important archaeological museum of Corinth.