Corinth

Ancient Corinth, with Acrocorinth in the background. Photograph by Todd Bolen.

Corinth was one of the most prosperous and economically diverse cities in ancient Greece and Rome, located on the isthmus that joins mainland Greece to the Peloponnese. In 1896, the American School of Classical Studies in Athens began a systematic excavation of Corinth. The dig has continued more or less uninterrupted until the present day. This view of Corinth shows a large monolithic rock in the background. Atop that is Acrocorinth, or the Acropolis. Under the rule of the Byzantine Empire, the Greek Acropolis was built up into a fortress. In the foreground, one can see the remains of part of the center of the city’s life in ancient times: the marketplace, or forum.