That Most Beautiful and Excellent City

The Isthmus of Corinth joins northern and southern Greece.  At its narrowest point it is just three miles wide.  The city of Corinth is located immediately south of the isthmus.  Visitors to ancient Corinth entering the city from the east would pass through the Cenchrean Gate.  Here they would find themselves in the midst of the Craneum, the wealthy quarter of the town.  There was a small park for people to stroll in or picnic, all the time surrounded by images of wealth and beauty.  To the west lay the upper and lower agoras, the market places with their shops.  To the south, towering over a third of a mile into the sky above the city was the rocky eminence of Acrocorinth, at the very top of which was the Temple of Aphrodite, the patroness of the city. “Prosperous Corinth”, wrote the poet Pindar, “there dwell Eunomia (Order) and her sisters Dike (Justice) and Eirene (Peace).  Cicero referred to Corinth as “that most beautiful and excellent city”.

Acrocorinth from the Temple of Apollo

Archaeology has shown that the site of Corinth has been occupied since 6500 BC.  But the area was sparsely inhabited before the Mycenaean period.  The lack of significant habitation seems strange given that Corinth’s location astride the only road connecting northern and southern Greece should have made it an important location from the earliest times.  In fact it doesn’t seem that Corinth was heavily occupied until about 900 by Dorians.  Nevertheless Corinth remained a backwater, ruled by priest-kings of the Bacchiad dynasty for more than a century.  In 747 the last king was deposed and replaced with annually elected officials. The chief executive was the prytanis. There was also a polemarch who was in charge of the armed forces. It’s probable that there was a council but this isn’t attested.  A tight oligarchy was imposed with Bacchiads still basically in charge. 

In 657 Bacchiad rule came to an end.  The Polemarch Cypselus, who was a Bacchiad on his mother’s side, seized power, proclaimed himself tyrant, and sent the Bacchiads into exile.  In 627 Cypselus died and was succeeded by his son Periander.  Corinth prospered under Cypselid rule.  The ports of Cenchreae on the Saronic Gulf and Lecheum on the Corinthian Gulf were developed.  Corinth benefitted from the collection of port taxes and portage fees from goods and ships that were hauled across the isthmus.  To facilitate the latter, the diolkos, a kind of early marine railway was built during Periander’s time. The Corinthian economy boomed under the Cypselids.  The city became famous for its high quality bronze and Corinthian ware pottery. Corinth also became a center for shipbuilding. These developments led to a heavy investment in trade.  Corinth became wealthy. Much of that wealth was invested in internal adornment. Corinthian architecture, Corinthian music were the best in Greece. “Corinthian” was a term that became synonymous with excellence.  Corinth was a beautiful city and she liked showing off.  To that end the Isthmian Games were begun in 582. The games were held every other year and attracted visitors from throughout Greece.

Corinthian colonies of Corcyra, Epidamnus, Apollonia and Ambracia

Corinth’s trading interests can be seen in her founding of many colonies.  Corinthian colonization actually began under Bacchiad rule.  Corcyra (Corfu) and Syracuse (Sicily) were founded in 734/733.  Ambracia, Anactorium, Apollonia and Epidamnus were colonies founded in northwest Greece in whole, or in part, by Corinth, between 650 and 600, while Corinth was under the Cypselids.  Potidaea, in northern Greece, was the last colony founded by Corinth around 600. Potidaea was unusual in a couple of ways. It was the only Corinthian colony not located along the western trade route and it continued a direct political connection with Corinth, which sent out annual magistrates to govern the place.  Most Greek colonies, while maintaining ceremonial and kinship ties with their mother cities, were politically independent; sometimes extremely so.  Corcyra, for example, even became an implacable rival of Corinth.

German map of Corinth and environs

Greek states invariably got into disputes with their neighbors.  Corinth was no exception to this rule.  She quarreled with Argos to the south from time to time but her main nemesis was her neighbor to the north, Megara. The two cities warred almost constantly over their boundary.  After the Corinthians succeeded in taking the Perachora peninsular, Megara, which was also a great colonizing city, may have allied herself with Eretria.  Corinth possibly responded by allying with Eretria’s rival Chalcis.  On this basis it’s possible that Corinth engaged in the conflict known as the Lelantine War. She certainly won her fight with Megara and their mutual border was pushed back to Mt. Geraneia.

Periander was succeeded by his nephew Psammetichus who was assassinated in 581. The Corinthians then established a long lived oligarchy that extended the franchise to all but the poorest citizens. About the middle of the 6th century Corinth entered into an alliance with Sparta; the Peloponnesian League. Although subordinate to Sparta, Corinth’s interests would, nevertheless, drive many of the league’s actions and the city would be a major player in the conflicts of the fifth and fourth centuries.