Acrocorinth

Behind the ancient city of Corinth lies an 1800 foot mountain with very steep sides.  (See the image to the left which shows the mountain in the background).  It has been a fortress or acropolis since at least the 7th century BC.  At the very summit is a spring that wells up fresh water.  This morning John and I drove up to the first gate and went to explore the fortress.

The top of the Acrocorinth is very broad at about 61 acres of land - populated with wheat and olive trees.  There are three gates and walls that surround the entire summit.  The Ancient Corinthians built a wall across the Isthmus, and walls from the Acrocorinth down to surround the entire city and then out to the port  of Lechaion and back.  More than 15 km of walls all told, with 3km in the Acrocorinth alone.  

John surveying the western side of the Acrocorinth

From the Summit we were able to see both the Saronic and Corinthian gulfs.  The view above is from near the top overlooking the western gulf and the town of ancient Corinth.  

We spent the day climbing up and down the top 300 feet of the fortress, which reminded me of Minas Tirith from the Lord of the Rings.  The image to the left shows the 3rd and a bit of the 2nd gates to the fortress.  Once inside the fortress there was space for the inhabitants of the city, their livestock and soldiers to live.  When well provisioned the defending troops would have ample water and stores for a multi-year siege.  Most Corinthians maintained houses in the Acrocorinth and in the city, retiring to the fortress during pirate raids.

The Acrocorinth was captured by the Romans in 146 BC, and destroyed, then repaired in 44 BC.  The next time it was captured was in the 12th century when the Franks conquered it and incorporated it into their principality.  Then in 1458 the sultan Mehmed II occupied it only to lose it to the Venetians in 1687.  They added the lion of St. Mark to the gates, but lost it to the Turks about 50 years later.  Finally, in 1823, Corinth was liberated, and was surrendered the castle to the Greek troops as part of the Greek war of independence.

After exploring the Upper Peirene Spring (see the image to the right) which is located at the summit.  This spring is naturally occurring and feeds the several underground cisterns.  John and I went on to climb the the towers and the walls at the summit.  Once we had fully explored the place we worked our way back to the car and then drove back to Athens to catch our flight to Malta.  I am signing off now to go and grab dinner, and then it is a 2 hour flight to the island of Malta - which is located South of Sicily (The island that the Italian boot is kicking) and north of Africa.  While Greece is a predominantly Eastern Orthodox country, Malta is a predominantly Catholic country.  We will right more tomorrow once we land.