Isthmia, Achaea

Most Recent Visit: May 2021 Near the narrowest part of the Corinthian Isthmus, less than a kilometer from the eventual site of the Corinthian Canal, the site known today as Isthmia began life as a localized sanctuary site. The name Isthmia is a modern description of the specific site, as the entire area of the…

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Cenchreae, Acheae

Most Recent Visit: May 2021 About 10 kilometers to the east of Corinth is the city’s Saronic Gulf port, Cenchreae (Kenchreia). According to the 2nd century CE writer Pausanias, the two ports of Corinth, Chenchreae, and its counterpart on the Gulf of Corinth, Lechaion, were named after the sons of the nymph Peirene with Poseidon;…

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Corinth Area, Achaea

Most Recent Visit: May 2021 A number of remains in the area of Corinth are worth visiting, but not quite enough to warrant their own post individually. Located less than a kilometer to the south/southwest of the ancient center of Corinth, is the fortress of Acrocorinth, literally Upper Corinth. The rocky outcropping juts up 575…

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Corinth, Achaea – Part III

Continued From Corinth Part II The northeast corner of Corinth’s forum is a bit messier and less orthogonal than the rest of the fairly rectilinear forum. Though during the Roman period it was covered over and the area was largely an open space, presently the remains of some elements of the Sacred Spring are now…

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Corinth, Achaea – Part II

Continued From Corinth Part I From the area of the Temple of Apollo, it’s worth moving on to the museum. As it is on-site and part of the archaeological park, it is essentially open and accessible whenever the park is. It is a pretty sizable museum for an on-site location. Upon entering, there’s a large…

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Corinth, Achaea – Part I

Most Recent Visit: May 2021 The history of Corinth, one of the more high profile ancient settlements in Greece, is, of course, quite extensive. As such, covering the entire history of Corinth in the sort of depth that I usually do for sites would likely take up a whole post or more. So, I’ve decided…

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Segusium, Aples Cottiae

Tucked away among the foothills of the Cottian Alps in Northern Italy, the ancient settlement of Segusium is today located in the Val di Susa, which takes its name from the modern successor of Segusium, Susa. The settlement at the confluence of the modern Cenischia stream and the Dora Riparia (Dura Minor in antiquity) was…

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Brixia, Venetia – Part I

The modern town of Brescia is situated in Northern Italy at the foot of the Alps, between Lake Iseo and Lake Garda (Lacus Sebinus and Lacus Benacus in antiquity, respectively) and along the Mella River (seemingly retaining it’s ancient name). In the Roman period, the settlement was called Brixia, seeming to derive from the Celtic…

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Norba, Latium

Located on a plateau atop the Monti Lepini (Volscian Mountains), an anti-Apennine mountain range overlooking the Agro Pontino (Pomptinus Ager in antiquity; the land of the Pontine Marshes), sits the ancient settlement of Norba. The settlement’s commanding presence over the Pomptinus Ager made it a particularly important location in the control of the area. The…

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Paestum, Lucania – Part II

Continued From Paestum – Part I Southern Sanctuary Heading toward the southernmost part of the city and the southern sanctuary are the other two major temples of Paestum. The northern most of these two temples is the Temple of Hera II, or the Second Temple of Hera. Built between 460 BCE and 440 BCE, the…

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