Greek Christmas - Part III Corinth

Dear All,

After leaving our comfortable home base in Nafplio, we drove north to visit the ancient ruins of Corinth on the isthmus between the Peloponnese and mainland Greece. The original city was formed in the 10th century BC, but it was completely destroyed by the Romans in 146 BC. Thereafter, it was resettled with freed slaves from Rome and Jews who had been exiled from Rome in 49 AD. At the time of Paul, Corinth was well known in Greece for its riches and immoral behavior.



Temple of Apollo, Ancient Corinth (Κόρινθος)

On the way to the old city, Nicolas read the account of Paul in Corinth in Acts 18. We also discussed with the kids that this was the location of one of the first branches or wards of the Church of Jesus Christ and the home of Aquila and Pricilla, a famous New Testament missionary couple. Hopefully, our discussions provided the kids with a little understanding of the significance of Corinth. Certainly, for us it felt like we were visiting Nauvoo rather than another ancient Greek or Roman city.

Ancient Corinth (Κόρινθος)

Based on our stop at the canal and information that we had gleaned online, we anticipated a small, poorly-preserved site located in the midst of a modern city. As a result, our expectations were set fairly low. However, when we arrived, we discovered that the site was quite expansive and more intact than we thought. We also found a nice museum built in the 1920s that housed numerous relics, statues and mosaics from the different periods of the city. Some of our favorite pieces included cups, plates, and amphora from around 51 AD when Paul lived in the city, the marble Corinth Sphinx, a skeleton of a girl, and votive (emblematic) terracotta legs and arms.



Archaeological Museum of Corinth (Κόρινθος)

After touring the museum, we began strolling through the ruins. One of the most important places we saw was the ancient Bema, or judgement seat where Paul was brought before Gallio in Acts 18:12. It is situated in the middle of the Agora or marketplace and was the location of public debates like the one between Paul and the Jews.

Bema or Judgement Seat from Acts 18:12

We also walked down a street that was paid out of the personal funds of Erastus, the Director of Public Works of Corinth and a later missionary companion of Paul as recorded in Romans 16:23.

Ancient Corinth Street Paved by Erastus

Other sites of interest included the Peirene Fountain, which dates back to the sixth century BC and was the mythological watering hole of Pegasus. As the Romans loved running water, they made several improvements while they occupied the city.



Peirene (Πειρήνη) Fountain and Other Ruins

We feel very fortunate to have been able to walk in the footsteps of Paul in Ancient Corinth. While our kids are still young and probably didn't fully grasp the meaning of what they saw (Elyse was obsessed with a stray dog and Nathaniel was busy picking up small stones), perhaps this will be an experience upon which they can draw later in life. Hopefully, we too can learn from the example of Pricilla and Aquila and work together in teaching the gospel and strengthening the members while in France.

Joe, Julie, Nicolas, Elyse, and Nathaniel