Greece - Ancient Corinth

(Ancient) Corinth was first inhabited in the Neolithic period (5000-3000 BC). The peak period of the town
started in the 8th century BC. Representative of its wealth is the Temple of Apollo, built in 550 BC. The city was situated Isthmus of Corinth, which connects the Peloponnese with central Greece and which also separates the Saronic and Corinthian Gulfs from each other. Its position gave Corinth great strategic and commercial importance in ancient times. It therefore developed into a healthy commercial, political and industrial city state.

The Romans destroyed Ancient Corinth in 146 BC, but it was later restored by Julius Caesar. The city was re-inhabited in 44 B.C. and gradually developed again.The centre of the Roman city was organized to the south of the temple of Apollo and included shops, small shrines, fountains, baths and other public buildings.

The invasion of the Herulians in the year of 267, initiated the decline of the city, though it remained inhabited for many centuries through successive invasions and destructions, until it was liberated from the Turks in 1822.

First excavations were conducted in 1892.The systematic excavations of the area started 1896 and are still continuing today. They have brought to light the agora, temples, fountains, shops, porticoes, baths and various other monuments. The finds are exhibited in the Archaeological Museum (PiP5) inside the archaeological site of Ancient Corinth.