The site of
Ancient Corinth was first inhabited in the
Neolithic period (5000-3000 B.C.). The peak
period of the town, though, started in the
8th century B.C. and lasted until its
destruction by the Roman general Mummius in
146 B.C. Representative of its wealth is the
Doric temple of Apollo which was built in
550 B.C.
The city was reinhabited in 44 B.C. and
gradually developed again. In 51/52 A.D.,
Apostle Paul visited Corinth. 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 A.D. 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.
Limited excavations were conducted in 1892
and 1906 by the Archaeological Society of
Athens under the direction of A. Skias. The
systematic excavations of the area,
initiated by the American School of
Classical Studies in 1896, are still
continuing today and have brought to light
the agora, temples, fountains, shops,
porticoes, baths and various other
monuments. The investigations extended also
to the fortress on Acrocorinthos, the
prehistoric settlements, the Theatre, the
Odeion, the Asklepeion, the cemeteries, the
Quarter of the Potters, and other buildings
outside the main archaeological site.
The finds are exhibited in the
Archaeological Museum of Ancient Corinth.
