Ancient Corinth

Ancient Corinth (Archaia Korinthos) in the Peloponnese, Greece, was one of the great cities of antiquity. The site has the Doric Temple of Apollo from the 6th century BC (around 550 to 530 BC), originally with 6 by 15 columns and monolithic shafts rather than the usual drums; seven columns still stand. In 146 BC the Roman commander Mummius sacked the city, and in 44 BC Julius Caesar founded a Roman colony here.

From Roman times, mostly the 1st century AD, a large forum survives, among other buildings. The monumental Peirene fountain dates from the 2nd century AD. Above the city rises Acrocorinth, the fortified hill, which was used from archaic times until the early 19th century. Three rings of walls enclosed the hill, with the upper Peirene spring inside them. A temple of Aphrodite stood on the summit, later a church and a mosque. Frankish, Venetian and Ottoman rulers extended the fortifications. The site has little shade; in summer, visit early in the morning or late in the afternoon.