Greece travel with Oracle Private Tours
Ancient Corinth & Acro-corinth is a top ten major site
Half a day tour from Athens. Coming from Athens, Corinthia is the first
prefecture you come to in the Peloponnese, the first sign of warmth and
excitement. The aromas of the sea, the mountains, the harvest of grapes
and currants are all-encompassing, accompanied by the sound of bees buzzing
around the sheds where the currants are drying. Here you’ll rediscover
some old Greek myths, learn that Nemean wine is called “Herakles
blood” and that retsina is the teardrop of a certain wood nymph.
You’ll find out about gods, nereids and mortals. Zeus and Apollo.
You’ll come upon columns, sanctuaries and ancient palaces.
The Corinth Canal
The most important attempt to pierce the Isthmus in ancient times was
made by the Emperor Nero in 67 A .D. During that year, several thousands
of workers dug away at the Isthmus for more than three months. The vestiges
of the work carried out at that time indicate that the designers of the
project had chosen the narrowest point of the Isthmus for the purpose,
following the same line as the modern canal. The digging began either
side of the canal, and the workers were supposed to meet eventually in
the middle. Nero’s death put an end to the project. Work was only
resumed again in 1881 and completed in 1893. The canal is about 6 km long;
its width upon completion was 25 meters, and 8 meters deep.
Ancient Corinth
The ruins of ancient Corinth are spread out at the foot of the huge rock
of Acro-corinth. The monuments are mainly Roman; only a few are Greek.
You can trace the Long Walls which began at the summit of Acro-corinth
and descended all the way to Lechaion (Leheo), the artificial harbor
on the Corinthian Gulf. Lechaion was the start of Lechaion road which
led to the ancient agora. This was paved with flagstones and lined with
sidewalks, arcades and shops. The area of the marketplace was filled with
imposing buildings, temples and business emporia. The Doric temple of
Apollo (6th c. BC with 1st c. AD restorations) stands on a knoll to the
north of the agora; it is the most important monument of that period.
To the northwest of the agora lie the ruins of the 4th century BC theatre
- which underwent some changes in the Roman Odeon. The museum is in the
southwest sector of the site. It contains mosaic floors, Mycenaean and
Corinthian pottery, terra cotta sphinxes, statues of two supernatural
beings, relief plaques, the Roman head of the Goddess Tyche and small
objects of various kinds. On the north side of the building one can see
the remains of the fountain of Glauke hewn out of the rock. Glauke, daughter
of king Creon, was the reason why Jason deserted Medea. In revenge Medea
sent her as a wedding gift a poisoned mantle which enveloped the girl
in flames the moment she put it on. In order to save herself she leapt
into the fountain which since then has borne her name.
Acro-corinth
The imposing mass of Acro-corinth (Acrocorinthos) rises out of the ground
at the edge of the ancient city. At the top of the pinnacle, at an altitude
of 575 meters, stood the acropolis of Corinth during ancient and medieval
times. This is the largest and oldest fortress in the Peloponnese. The
Franco-Byzantine-Venetian fortifications (built atop the ancient walls)
and Turkish additions have left deep signs of their successive claims
to supremacy. At the summit which offers a magnificent view, there were
a vast number of shrines and temples dominated by the Temple of Aphrodite.
Lower down is the Upper Peirene Spring. Pausanias mentions that Peirene
was a woman who was transformed into a spring by the tears she shed for
her son who had been killed by Artemis.
Here are a few of the other Oracle Greece Taxi or Bus touring destinations you may choose from
Athens,
Cape Sounion, Ancient Corinth, Delphi & Ossios Lukas, Drama, Florina, Greneva, Chalkidiki, Imathia, Kastoria, Kavala, Kozani, Meteora, Mt. Athos, Mycenaea, Naufplion, Olympia, Pella and Vergina, Phillipi & Kavala, Dion & Mt Olympus, Sparta & Mystras, The Mani and Monemvasia, Thessaloniki,
READ TESTIMONIALS
E-mail Paul for prices and availibility