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CORINTH
CORINTH
It was situated at the southern extremity of the narrow isthmus wliicli connected the Peloponnesus witli the mainland of Greece, on a slightly raised terrace, sloping up from the low-lyiiig plain to a bold rock, the Acrocorinthus, which rises abruptly on the south side of the city to the height of over 1800 ft. above sea-level. Thus the city was easy of access from both east and west, and at the same time possessed of great military im- portance, on account of its powerful citadel. Its strength was increased by its forlilications, which not merely suiTounded the city, but also connected it by the 'Long Walls' with its harbour Lechieum on the western sea, about 11 miles (12 stadia) distant. Its situation enabled it to command all land communication between central (Jreece and the Peloponnesus. Along the southern edge of the isthnuis stretches a ridge called Oneion from E. to W. ; and the Acrocorinthus, which from the north seems to be an isolated rock, is really a spur of Oneion, though separated from the ridge by a deep cleft or ravine. This riilge makes communication with the Peloponnesus difficult, leaving only three paths — one along the western sea (Corinthian Gulf), commanded by Lechseura and the Long Walls, one close under the walls of Corinth, and one along the eastern sea (Saronic Gulf), commanded by the other harbour of Corinth named C'enchre<e (Ac 18'*, Ro Itji), about 8i miles (70 stadia) distant from the city, 'i'he Acrocorinthus commands a wonderful view over both seas, on the E. the Saronic Gulf, and on the W. the Corinthian,* and over the low lands bordering the two seas, up to the mountains both in the Peloponnesus and in central Greece ; the acropolis of Athens, Mount Parnassus, and many other famous points are clearly visible.
Through its two harbours C. bestrode the isthmus, with one foot planted on each sea ; and hence it is called ' two-sea'd Corinth ' (bimaris Corinthi moenia, Horace, Od. i. 7) ; and Philip IV. of Macedon called it one of the ' fetters of Greece ' ; the other two being Chalcis in Euboea and Deme- trias in Thessaly. But the territory belonging to the city was confined and unproductive (except the fertile though narrow strip of .soil extending along the Corinthian Gulf towards Sicyon) ; the low ground of the Isthmus was poor and stony ; and (Oneion was mere rock. Hence the population was at once tempted by two quiet seas, and compelled by the churlish land, to turn to maritime enter- prise ; and there lay the greatness of C. so long as Greece was free. Only when Greece was enslaved did C. become one of the fetters of the countr}-.
It was customary in ancient times to haul .ships across the low and narrow Isthmus by a made route, called Diolkos (o/oXkos) , between the W. and the E. sea. Owing to the dread entertained by ancient sailors for the voyage round the southern capes of the Peloponnesus (especially Malea), as well as to the .saving of time effected on the voyage from Italy to the Asian coast by the Corinthian route, many smaller ships were thus carried bodily across the Isthmus ; though the larger ships (such as that in which St. Paul sailed, Ac 27"- ") could never have been treated in that way. Many travellers along the great route from Italy to the East came to LechiEuro in one ship, and sailed east in another from Cenchreie, while the merchandise of large ships must have been transhipped ; and thus Corinth was thronged with travellers. Under Nero an attempt was made about A. I). (5G-67 to cut a ship-canal across the Isthmus (after several earlier schemes had been frustrated as an impious inter- ference with the divine will) ; and traces of the ■works were observable before the present ship-
• A bold hill, prnjectinc a little dlstAnco on the west of the Aerocoiinthus, seriously Interferes with the view on that side ; Leake calls It ' the eyesore of Corinth."
canal was made.* The canal was intended to be some distance north of the two harbours, and would have damaged their prosiierily. In such a city any new movement of thought originating in the East was certain to become known rai)idly, in the frequent intercourse that was maintained be- tween Rome and the East. Moreover, Christians travelling for various reasons were often likely to pass through C. ; and hence St. Paul calls Gains of Corinth ' my host and of the whole Church ' (Ro 10-3). In (lie end of the 1st cent. Clement, writing to the Church at C, alludes several times (§ 1, § 10, § 35), to the frequent occasion which the people had to show hospitality to travellers.
In this situation C. had generally been the lead- ing commercial city of Greece. Historical reasons, indeed, occasionally endangered its trading supre- macy for a time ; sometimes the energy of the Athenians, or of some other rivals, challenged it ; ami at last the Romans destroyed the city in B.C. 140. But the favourable situation which had made it the originator in Greek history of great fleets and of commercial enterprise on a large scale, and enabled it to become the mother-city of many colonies in the central and western parts of the Mediterranean, could not allow it to remain a ruin and a mere historical memory. For a time, indeed, Delos succeeded to its commercial supremacy, and Sicyon to its presidency at the Isthmian (James ; but in B.C. 46 it was refounded by Julius Caisar as a Rom. colony, under the name Colanin Laus Julia Coriv.thus. Hence a considerable proportion of the small number of names in NT connected with C. are Roman: Crispus, Titius Justus (Ac 18'-^), Lucius, Tertius, Gaius, Quartus (Ho 16'^>-^), For- tunatus, Achaicus (1 Co lO^"). Since Greece was revived as an independent country in modern times, the claim of C. to be the site of the capital, though mentioned, has been always rejected, partly through the suriia-ssing historical memories that cluster round Athens, and paitly through the fact that C. is subject to earthquakes.