Misplaced Pages

#266733

62-658: Corinthia borders on Achaea to the west and southwest, the Gulf of Corinth and Attica to the north, the Saronic Gulf to the east, Argolis to the south and Arcadia to the southwest. The Corinth Canal , carrying ship traffic between the Ionian and the Aegean seas, is about 4 km (2.5 miles) east of Corinth , cutting through the Isthmus of Corinth . Corinthia is increasingly seen as part of

124-775: A Siege of Patras in 805/807 failed. By the end of the 9th century, the whole peninsula was firmly under Byzantine control again, forming the Theme of the Peloponnese . After the Fourth Crusade several new Crusader states were founded in Greece. One of these was the Principality of Achaea , founded in 1205, which like the Roman province covered a much larger area than the Achaea region. The Achaea region

186-861: A bodyguard and died a natural death. Aristotle reports that "Cypselus of Corinth had made a vow that if he became master of the city, he would offer to Zeus the entire property of the Corinthians. Accordingly, he commanded them to make a return of their possessions." The city sent forth colonists to found new settlements in the 7th century BC, under the rule of Cypselus (r. 657–627 BC) and his son Periander (r. 627–587 BC). Those settlements were Epidamnus (modern day Durrës , Albania ), Syracuse , Ambracia , Corcyra (modern day town of Corfu ), and Anactorium . Periander also founded Apollonia in Illyria (modern day Fier , Albania) and Potidaea (in Chalcidice ). Corinth

248-458: A descendant of the god Zeus . However, other myths hold that it was founded by the goddess Ephyra , a daughter of the Titan Oceanus , thus the ancient name of the city (also Ephyra). It seems likely that Corinth was also the site of a Bronze Age Mycenaean palace-city, like Mycenae , Tiryns , or Pylos . According to myth, Sisyphus was the founder of a race of ancient kings at Corinth. It

310-497: A group, governing the city by annually electing a prytanis (who held the kingly position for his brief term), probably a council (though none is specifically documented in the scant literary materials), and a polemarchos to head the army. During Bacchiad rule from 747 to 650 BC, Corinth became a unified state. Large scale public buildings and monuments were constructed at this time. In 733 BC, Corinth established colonies at Corcyra and Syracuse . By 730 BC, Corinth emerged as

372-669: A highly advanced Greek city with at least 5,000 people. Aristotle tells the story of Philolaus of Corinth, a Bacchiad who was a lawgiver at Thebes. He became the lover of Diocles , the winner of the Olympic games. They both lived for the rest of their lives in Thebes. Their tombs were built near one another and Philolaus' tomb points toward the Corinthian country, while Diocles' faces away. In 657 BC, polemarch Cypselus obtained an oracle from Delphi which he interpreted to mean that he should rule

434-517: A tourist attraction. The track begins near Kalavryta and ends off Diakopto. Patras is one of the main industrial and commerce centers in Greece. Temeni is a place where the spring water Avra (Άυρα) is manufactured. It is owned by Tria Epsilon , a division of The Coca-Cola Company and a parent. There is a small oil refinery near Rio. Athenian brewery has the largest production facility of the company in Patra. The main highways are: Intercity bus transport

496-473: Is mountainous. Its tallest mountain is Kyllini in its west and the largest lake is Lake Stymphalos , (important in Greek mythology and a bird resort, protected by Natura 2000 ) situated in the southwest. The reservoir will become one of the largest lakes after its completion. The climate of Corinthia consists of hot summers and mild winters in the coastal areas and somewhat colder winters with occasional snowfalls in

558-708: Is provided by KTEL Achaias. The main bus terminal is in the city of Patras. Achaea is served by both the Patras Suburban Railway on the Patras–Kyparissia line to Patras and Athens Suburban Railway on the Athens Airport–Patras line from Aigio to Athens . Both lines, as yet, do not meet. There are two skiing resorts, one on the Panachaicus west of the mountain top (elevation around 1700 m) east of Patras, it will be Nafpaktos's closest because of

620-623: Is quoted as saying: " non licet omnibus adire Corinthum " ("Not everyone is able to go to Corinth"). Corinth was also the host of the Isthmian Games . During this era, Corinthians developed the Corinthian order , the third main style of classical architecture after the Doric and the Ionic . The Corinthian order was the most complicated of the three, showing the city's wealth and the luxurious lifestyle, while

682-505: Is situated in the northwestern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. The capital is Patras which is the third largest city in Greece. Achaea is bordered by Elis to the west and southwest, Arcadia to the south, and Corinthia to the east and southeast. The Gulf of Corinth lies to its northeast, and the Gulf of Patras to its northwest. The mountain Panachaiko (1926 m), though not

SECTION 10

#1732868763267

744-729: The American School of Classical Studies at Athens have revealed large parts of the ancient city, and recent excavations conducted by the Greek Ministry of Culture have brought to light important new facets of antiquity. For Christians , Corinth is well known from the two letters from Paul the Apostle in the New Testament , the First Epistle to the Corinthians and the Second Epistle to

806-507: The Battle of Thermopylae and the subsequent Battle of Artemisium , which resulted in the captures of Euboea , Boeotia , and Attica , the Greco-Persian Wars were at a point where now most of mainland Greece to the north of the Isthmus of Corinth had been overrun. Herodotus, who was believed to dislike the Corinthians, mentions that they were considered the second best fighters after

868-519: The Corinth Canal , the thermal springs of Loutraki , the archaeological sites of Nemea , Sicyon and the Heraion of Perachora . Achaea Achaea ( / ə ˈ k iː ə / ) or Achaia ( / ə ˈ k aɪ ə / ), sometimes transliterated from Greek as Akhaia ( Αχαΐα , Akhaḯa [axaˈia] ), is one of the regional units of Greece . It is part of the region of Western Greece and

930-628: The Elissos River . It will be the second largest body of water (lakes, reservoirs) in Corinthia. The dam will be designed to withstand earthquakes and natural disasters, including flooding. On July 17, 2007, a forest fire struck the area around the historic Acrocorinth and its castle. The main sources of income are goods and services, manufacturing, tourism and agriculture. Several major roadways are situated within Corinthia. Notable attractions include Ancient Corinth with its acropolis, Acrocorinth ,

992-647: The Long Walls of Corinth in 392 BC. In 379 BC, Corinth, switching back to the Peloponnesian League , joined Sparta in an attempt to defeat Thebes and eventually take over Athens. In 366 BC, the Athenian Assembly ordered Chares to occupy the Athenian ally and install a democratic government. This failed when Corinth, Phlius and Epidaurus allied with Boeotia . Demosthenes recounts how Athens had fought

1054-410: The 10 °C mark throughout the low-lying areas. The regional unit Achaea is subdivided into 5 municipalities. These are (number as in the map in the infobox): As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform , the regional unit Achaea was created out of the former prefecture Achaea ( Greek : Νομός Αχαΐας ). The prefecture had the same territory as the present regional unit. At the same time,

1116-662: The Athenian renegade Alcibiades , the Spartans agreed to send troops to aid the Sicilians. In 404 BC, Sparta refused to destroy Athens, angering the Corinthians. Corinth joined Argos , Boeotia , and Athens against Sparta in the Corinthian War . Demosthenes later used this history in a plea for magnanimous statecraft, noting that the Athenians of yesteryear had had good reason to hate the Corinthians and Thebans for their conduct during

1178-580: The Athenians. In 458 BC, Corinth was defeated by Athens at Megara . In 435 BC, Corinth and its colony Corcyra went to war over Epidamnus . In 433 BC, Athens allied with Corcyra against Corinth. The Corinthian war against the Corcyrans was the largest naval battle between Greek city states until that time. In 431 BC, one of the factors leading to the Peloponnesian War was the dispute between Corinth and Athens over Corcyra, which possibly stemmed from

1240-563: The Bacchiad kin and usurped the power in archaic matriarchal right of his mother. According to Herodotus , the Bacchiadae heard two prophecies from the Delphic oracle that the son of Eëtion would overthrow their dynasty, and they planned to kill the baby once he was born. However, the newborn smiled at each of the men sent to kill him, and none of them could bear to strike the blow. Labda then hid

1302-620: The Bacchiadai Prytaneis and reinstituted the kingship, about the time the Kingdom of Lydia (the endonymic Basileia Sfard ) was at its greatest, coinciding with the ascent of Basileus Meles, King of Lydia. The Bacchiadae, numbering perhaps a couple of hundred adult males, took power from the last king Telestes (from the House of Sisyphos ) in Corinth. The Bacchiads dispensed with kingship and ruled as

SECTION 20

#1732868763267

1364-540: The Corinthians . Corinth is also mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles as part of Paul the Apostle 's missionary travels. In addition, the second book of Pausanias ' Description of Greece is devoted to Corinth. Ancient Corinth was one of the largest and most important cities of Greece, with a population of 90,000 in 400 BC. The Romans demolished Corinth in 146 BC, built a new city in its place in 44 BC, and later made it

1426-489: The Corinthians were unhappy with their rulers. Cypselus was polemarch at the time (around 657 BC), the archon in charge of the military, and he used his influence with the soldiers to expel the king. He also expelled his other enemies, but allowed them to set up colonies in northwestern Greece. He also increased trade with the colonies in Italy and Sicily . He was a popular ruler and, unlike many later tyrants, he did not need

1488-608: The Doric order evoked the rigorous simplicity of the Spartans, and the Ionic was a harmonious balance between these two following the cosmopolitan philosophy of Ionians like the Athenians. The city had two main ports: to the west on the Corinthian Gulf lay Lechaion , which connected the city to its western colonies (Greek: apoikiai ) and Magna Graecia , while to the east on the Saronic Gulf

1550-564: The League was able finally to defeat a heavily weakened Sparta and take control of the entire Peloponnese. However, as the Roman influence in the area grew, the league erupted into an open revolt against Roman domination, in what is known as Achaean War . The Achaeans were defeated at the Battle of Corinth (146 BC), and the League was dissolved by the Romans. In AD 51/52, Lucius Junius Gallio Annaeanus

1612-458: The Peloponnese, including messengers and traders. In classical times , Corinth rivaled Athens and Thebes in wealth, based on the Isthmian traffic and trade. Until the mid-6th century, Corinth was a major exporter of black-figure pottery to city-states around the Greek world, later losing their market to Athenian artisans. In classical times and earlier, Corinth had a temple of Aphrodite ,

1674-512: The Peloponnesian War, yet they bore no malice whatever. In 395 BC, after the end of the Peloponnesian War, Corinth and Thebes, dissatisfied with the hegemony of their Spartan allies, moved to support Athens against Sparta in the Corinthian War . As an example of facing danger with knowledge, Aristotle used the example of the Argives who were forced to confront the Spartans in the battle at

1736-643: The Saronic Gulfs. He abandoned the venture due to the extreme technical difficulties that he met, but he created the Diolkos instead (a stone-built overland ramp). The era of the Cypselids was Corinth's golden age, and ended with Periander's nephew Psammetichus (Corinthian tyrant)  [ de ] , named after the hellenophile Egyptian Pharaoh Psammetichus I (see above). Periander killed his wife Melissa. His son Lycophron found out and shunned him, and Periander exiled

1798-455: The Spartans in a great battle near Corinth. The city decided not to harbor the defeated Athenian troops, but instead sent heralds to the Spartans. But the Corinthian heralds opened their gates to the defeated Athenians and saved them. Demosthenes notes that they “chose along with you, who had been engaged in battle, to suffer whatever might betide, rather than without you to enjoy a safety that involved no danger.” These conflicts further weakened

1860-523: The area was very sparsely inhabited in the period immediately before the Mycenaean period . There was a settlement on the coast near Lechaion which traded across the Corinthian Gulf; the site of Corinth itself was likely not heavily occupied again until around 900 BC, when it is believed that the Dorians settled there. According to Corinthian myth as reported by Pausanias , the city was founded by Corinthos ,

1922-457: The baby in a chest, and the men could not find him once they had composed themselves and returned to kill him. (Compare the infancy of Perseus .) The ivory chest of Cypselus was richly worked and adorned with gold . It was a votive offering at Olympia , where Pausanias gave it a minute description in his 2nd century AD travel guide. Cypselus grew up and fulfilled the prophecy. Corinth had been involved in wars with Argos and Corcyra , and

Corinthia - Misplaced Pages Continue

1984-484: The camps was named Prosfygika . Achaea today has about one-third of the population of the Peloponnese. Patras , the capital of Achaea, is the third largest city in Greece, behind Athens and Thessaloniki . Two-thirds of the Achaean population live near Patras, and more than half within the city limits. The main industrial areas are around Patras. The main cities and towns of Achaea are (ranked by 2021 census population of

2046-399: The city. He seized power and exiled the Bacchiadae. Cypselus or Kypselos ( Greek : Κύψελος ) was the first tyrant of Corinth in the 7th century BC. From 658–628 BC, he removed the Bacchiad aristocracy from power and ruled for three decades. He built temples to Apollo and Poseidon in 650 BC. Cypselus was the son of Eëtion and a disfigured woman named Labda . He was a member of

2108-855: The end of the 13th century, the other baronies survived until the Principality of Achaea was conquered by the Byzantine Empire in 1430, and became part of the Despotate of the Morea . The Despotate of the Morea fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1460. As a part of the Morean War , the Republic of Venice captured Achaea in 1687 and held it until 1715, when the Ottomans recaptured the Peloponnese. Under Ottoman rule, Achaea

2170-409: The goddess of love, employing some thousand hetairas (temple prostitutes) (see also Temple prostitution in Corinth ). The city was renowned for these temple prostitutes, who served the wealthy merchants and the powerful officials who frequented the city. Lais , the most famous hetaira, was said to charge tremendous fees for her extraordinary favours. Referring to the city's exorbitant luxuries, Horace

2232-454: The highest of Achaea, dominates the coastal area near Patras . Higher mountains are found in the south, such as Aroania (2341 m) and Erymanthos (2224 m). Other mountain ranges in Achaea are Skollis , Omplos , Kombovouni and Movri . Its main rivers ordered from west to east are the Larissos , Tytheus , Peiros , Charadros , Selinountas and Vouraikos . Most of the forests are in

2294-489: The inhabitants started to use silver coins called 'colts' or 'foals'. 550 BC: Construction of the Temple of Apollo at Corinth (early third quarter of the 6th century BC). 550 BC: Corinth allied with Sparta . 525 BC: Corinth formed a conciliatory alliance with Sparta against Argos. 519 BC: Corinth mediated between Athens and Thebes . Around 500 BC: Athenians and Corinthians entreated Spartans not to harm Athens by restoring

2356-474: The mountain ranges, though several are in the plains including the extreme west. There are grasslands around the mid-elevation areas and barren lands in the highest areas. Achaea has hot summers and mild winters. Sunny days dominate during the summer months in areas near the coast, while the summer can be cloudy and rainy in the mountains. Snow is very common during the winter in the mountains of Erymanthos, Panachaiko and Aroania. Winter high temperatures are around

2418-444: The mountainous areas. The regional unit Corinthia is subdivided into six municipalities. These are (number as in the map in the infobox): As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform , the regional unit Corinthia was created out of the former prefecture Corinthia ( Greek : Νομός Κορινθίας ). The prefecture had the same territory as the present regional unit. At the same time, the municipalities were reorganised, according to

2480-513: The municipalities were reorganised, according to the table below. Note: Provinces no longer hold any legal status in Greece . The Achaean League was a Hellenistic-era confederation of city states in Achaea, founded in 280/281 BC. It later grew until it included most of Peloponnese , much reducing the Macedonian rule in the area. After Macedon's defeat by the Romans in the early 2nd century BC,

2542-735: The new bridge (mid-2004) and the other on Aroania, sometimes still called Chelmos , near Kalavrita. It is Kalavrita's closest resort. Division rankings were as of the 2005-06 season for most teams, for football (soccer) , they are run by the Achaea Football Clubs Association : Ancient Corinth 37°54′19″N 22°52′49″E  /  37.9053455°N 22.8801924°E  / 37.9053455; 22.8801924 Corinth ( British English : / ˈ k ɒr ɪ n θ / KORR -inth , American English : / ˈ k ɔːr ɪ n θ / ; Ancient Greek : Κόρινθος Korinthos ; Doric Greek : Ϙόρινθος ; Latin : Corinthus )

Corinthia - Misplaced Pages Continue

2604-518: The old Corinth interchange eastward in Corinthia was opened in 1962 and the section west of Corinth was added in 1969. The new highway had a significant effect on the local industry, as it lowered the cost of transportation of goods between Corinthia and the Athens metropolitan area. In late 2006, the prefect of Corinthia announced the construction of a new dam, to be located 5 to 7 km (3.1 to 4.3 miles) south of Kiato and Sicyon , near Stimanika , over

2666-690: The port of Kenchreai served the ships coming from Athens, Ionia , Cyprus and the Levant . Both ports had docks for the city's large navy. In 491 BC, Corinth mediated between Syracuse and Gela in Sicily. During the years 481–480 BC, the Conference at the Isthmus of Corinth (following conferences at Sparta) established the Hellenic League, which allied under the Spartans to fight the war against Persia . The city

2728-485: The prefecture was finally separated from Argolis. The highway was first paved at the turn of the 20th century. The mid to late-20th century saw the population shifting from agriculture to other jobs, as people migrated to larger towns and cities as well as other parts of the world. In the 1960s, the motorway GR-8A was constructed to handle the increasing traffic between Corinth and Athens and allow higher speed limits (60 to 80 km/h (37 to 50 mph)). The section from

2790-600: The provincial capital of Greece. Neolithic pottery suggests that the site of Corinth was occupied from at least as early as 6500 BC, and continually occupied into the Early Bronze Age , when, it has been suggested, the settlement acted as a centre of trade. However, there is a huge drop in ceramic remains during the Early Helladic II phase and only sparse ceramic remains in the EHIII and MH phases; thus, it appears that

2852-437: The sea and the sun. His verdict was that the Isthmus of Corinth , the area closest to the sea, belonged to Poseidon, and the acropolis of Corinth ( Acrocorinth ), closest to the sky, belonged to Helios. The Upper Peirene spring is located within the walls of the acropolis. Pausanias (2.5.1) says that it was put there by Asopus , repaying Sisyphus for information about the abduction of Aegina by Zeus. According to legend,

2914-419: The son to Corcyra . Periander later wanted Lycophron to replace him as ruler of Corinth, and convinced him to come home to Corinth on the condition that Periander go to Corcyra. The Corcyreans heard about this and killed Lycophron to keep away Periander. 581 BC: Periander's nephew and successor was assassinated, ending the tyranny. 581 BC: the Isthmian Games were established by leading families. 570 BC:

2976-566: The table below. Most of the modern inhabitants of the Corinthia are descendants of Arvanites . Large concentrations of those descendants live especially in mountainous regions, including Xylokeriza, Examilia , Sophiko and Kyras Vryse. The main cities and towns of Corinthia are (ranked by 2021 census population): From 1833 to 1899, the Corinthia prefecture included Argolis and was known as Argolidocorinthia . It included Hydra , Spetses and Kythira . Argolis joined Corinthia to reform Argolidocorinthia again in 1909. Forty years later, in 1949,

3038-459: The town proper): The monastery Agia Lavra is situated a few kilometres west of Kalavryta on the top of a hill. 12 to 20 km east, is Cave Lakes , with lakes inside. The length is around 300 to 500 m. The mountain hosts the most modern Greek telescope, named Aristarchus (after the ancient Greek astronomer - Aristarchus of Samos ) and operated by the National Observatory of Athens . A narrow gauge railway track runs for 30 km, mainly as

3100-400: The traditional trade rivalry between the two cities or, as Thucydides relates - the dispute over the colony of Epidamnus. The Syracusans sent envoys to Corinth and Sparta to seek allies against Athenian invasion . The Corinthians "voted at once to aid [the Syracusans] heart and soul". The Corinthians also sent a group to Lacedaemon to rouse Spartan assistance. After a convincing speech from

3162-442: The tyrant. Just before the classical period, according to Thucydides , the Corinthians developed the trireme which became the standard warship of the Mediterranean until the late Roman period. Corinth fought the first naval battle on record against the Hellenic city of Corcyra . The Corinthians were also known for their wealth due to their strategic location on the isthmus, through which all land traffic had to pass en route to

SECTION 50

#1732868763267

3224-590: The wider metropolitan area of Athens , with municipalities, such as Agioi Theodoroi in the easternmost part of the regional unit, being considered suburbs of Athens. The area around Corinth and the western Saronic including the southeastern part are made up of fault lines including the Corinth Fault , the Poseidon Fault and a fault running from Perahcora to Agioi Theodoroi. More faults are near Kiras Vrysi and Sofiko. The eastern coastlands of Corinthia are made up of pastures and farmlands where olives, grapes, tomatoes and vegetables are cultivated. The rest of Corinthia

3286-455: The winged horse Pegasus drank at the spring, and was captured and tamed by the Corinthian hero Bellerophon . Corinth had been a backwater in Greece in the 8th century BC. The Bacchiadae (Ancient Greek: Βακχιάδαι Bakkhiadai ) were a tightly-knit Doric clan and the ruling kinship group of archaic Corinth in the 8th and 7th centuries BC, a period of expanding Corinthian cultural power. In 747 BC (a traditional date), an aristocracy ousted

3348-399: Was a city-state ( polis ) on the Isthmus of Corinth , the narrow stretch of land that joins the Peloponnese peninsula to the mainland of Greece , roughly halfway between Athens and Sparta . The modern city of Corinth is located approximately 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) northeast of the ancient ruins. Since 1896, systematic archaeological investigations of the Corinth Excavations by

3410-425: Was a major participant in the Persian Wars, sending 400 soldiers to defend Thermopylae and supplying forty warships for the Battle of Salamis under Adeimantos and 5,000 hoplites with their characteristic Corinthian helmets ) in the following Battle of Plataea . The Greeks obtained the surrender of Theban collaborators with the Persians. Pausanias took them to Corinth where they were put to death. Following

3472-428: Was also in Corinth that Jason , the leader of the Argonauts , abandoned Medea . The Catalogue of Ships in the Iliad lists the Corinthians amid the contingent fighting in the Trojan War under the leadership of Agamemnon . In a Corinthian myth recounted to Pausanias in the 2nd century AD, Briareus, one of the Hecatonchires , was the arbitrator in a dispute between Poseidon and Helios , respectively gods of

3534-398: Was also one of the nine Greek sponsor-cities to found the colony of Naukratis in Ancient Egypt , founded to accommodate the increasing trade volume between the Greek world and pharaonic Egypt during the reign of Pharaoh Psammetichus I of the 26th Dynasty . He ruled for thirty years and was succeeded as tyrant by his son Periander in 627 BC. The treasury that Cypselus built at Delphi

3596-408: Was among the core territories of the Principality, with four baronies: the extensive Barony of Patras , the Barony of Vostitsa , the Barony of Chalandritsa , and the Barony of Kalavryta . Patras, under the powerful Latin Archbishopric of Patras , over time became a semi-autonomous domain under the protection of Venice and the Holy See. Although Kalavryta was lost to the Byzantine Greeks already by

3658-416: Was apparently still standing in the time of Herodotus, and the chest of Cypselus was seen by Pausanias at Olympia in the 2nd century AD. Periander brought Corcyra to order in 600 BC. Periander was considered one of the Seven Wise Men of Greece . During his reign, the first Corinthian coins were struck. He was the first to attempt to cut across the Isthmus to create a seaway between the Corinthian and

3720-418: Was part of the Achaea and Elis Prefecture . This was divided into the prefectures of Achaea and Elis in 1899. Achaea and Elis were reunited in 1909, and split again in 1930. Achaea saw an influx of refugees that arrived from Asia Minor during the Greco Turkish War of 1919-1922. Tens of thousands were relocated to their camps in the suburbs of Patras and a few villages mainly within the coastline. One of

3782-429: Was part of the Morea Eyalet . In the Greek War of Independence , Aigio was one of the first cities to be liberated by the Greeks and all of Achaea was liberated by the end of 1821. Achaea produced several heroes including Kanaris , Zaimis and Roufos and prime ministers of Greece including Andreas Michalakopoulos as well as some head of states. In the first administrative subdivision of independent Greece, Achaea

SECTION 60

#1732868763267

3844-471: Was proconsul of Achaea, and is portrayed (under the name "Gallio") in the book of the Acts of the Apostles , in the Bible, as presiding over the trial of the Apostle Paul in Corinth ( Acts 18:12–17 ). Achaea remained a province of the Byzantine Empire after the fall of the Western Roman Empire . In the 6th and 7th centuries, Slavs invaded Greece and reached the Peloponnese, settling there. The coastal cities remained largely under Byzantine control, and

#266733