Isthmia is an ancient sanctuary of Poseidon and important archaeological site and museum located on the
Isthmus of Corinth
The Isthmus of Corinth ( Greek: Ισθμός της Κορίνθου) is the narrow land bridge which connects the Peloponnese peninsula with the rest of the mainland of Greece, near the city of Corinth. The word "isthmus" comes from the Ancie ...
in Greece. Situated on the territory of the ancient city-state of
Corinth
Corinth ( ; el, Κόρινθος, Kórinthos, ) is the successor to an ancient city, and is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it has been part ...
, it was famous in antiquity for the
Isthmian Games
Isthmian Games or Isthmia (Ancient Greek: Ἴσθμια) were one of the Panhellenic Games of Ancient Greece, and were named after the Isthmus of Corinth, where they were held. As with the Nemean Games, the Isthmian Games were held both the year ...
and its
Temple of Poseidon.
[Irving, Jenni. "Isthmia." Ancient History Encyclopedia. N.p., 28 Apr. 2011. Web. 26 Oct. 2014]
Location
Isthmia is located on the key land route connecting
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
and central Greece with Corinth and the
Peloponnese
The Peloponnese (), Peloponnesus (; el, Πελοπόννησος, Pelopónnēsos,(), or Morea is a peninsula and geographic region in southern Greece. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmus of Corinth land bridge whi ...
. Its location on the Isthmus, between the major Corinthian ports of
Lechaeum on the
Gulf of Corinth
The Gulf of Corinth or the Corinthian Gulf ( el, Κορινθιακός Kόλπος, ''Korinthiakόs Kόlpos'', ) is a deep inlet of the Ionian Sea, separating the Peloponnese from western mainland Greece. It is bounded in the east by the Is ...
and
Cenchreae
Kechries ( el, Κεχριές, rarely Κεχρεές) is a village in the municipality of Corinth in Corinthia in Greece, part of the community of Xylokeriza. Population 238 (2011). It takes its name from the ancient port town Kenchreai or Cenchr ...
on the
Saronic Gulf
The Saronic Gulf (Greek: Σαρωνικός κόλπος, ''Saronikós kólpos'') or Gulf of Aegina in Greece is formed between the peninsulas of Attica and Argolis and forms part of the Aegean Sea. It defines the eastern side of the isthmus of Co ...
, made Isthmia a natural site for the worship of Poseidon, god of the sea and also of mariners. Isthmia sits on a very active fault line, and Poseidon's role as "Earth-holder" in causing and averting earthquakes is another reason Isthmia became the center of athletic and religious festivals in his honor. The Games at Isthmia were second in significance only to those at
Olympia.
History
Prehistoric times
Stone artifacts found on the site have been dated to show that humans have inhabited
Corinthia
Corinthia ( el, Κορινθία ''Korinthía'') is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Peloponnese. It is situated around the city of Corinth, in the north-eastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula.
Geography
Cori ...
since the
Neolithic
The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several par ...
Era. Small samples of pottery dating to the last era of the
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pr ...
(1600-1200 BC) show that people were still living in Isthmia during this time. During the
Greek Dark Ages
The term Greek Dark Ages refers to the period of Greek history from the end of the Mycenaean palatial civilization, around 1100 BC, to the beginning of the Archaic age, around 750 BC. Archaeological evidence shows a widespread collapse ...
, the population declined throughout Greece, and with it came a deterioration of material wealth in Isthmia.
[Gregory, Timothy. "A Brief History of Isthmia." Ohio State Archaeological Excavations in Greece. The Ohio State University. Web. 16 Oct. 2014]
Archaic and classical periods
As Greece moved into the
Archaic period, writing, material culture, and population all increased.
The people of Isthmia began constructing large stone monuments and religious sanctuaries.
[Gebhard, Elizabeth on ‘The Evolution of a Pan-Hellenic Sanctuary: From Archaeology towards History at Isthmia.’ pp. 154–177 in: Marinatos, Nanno and Hägg, Robin. Greek Sanctuaries: New Approaches. London: Routledge. 1993. Print] In the year 481 BC, the
Persian Empire
The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire (; peo, 𐎧𐏁𐏂, , ), also called the First Persian Empire, was an ancient Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great in 550 BC. Based in Western Asia, it was contemporarily the largest emp ...
attempted to invade Greece. Isthmia was not a major battlefield, but its central location made it a preferred site for Greek conferences and pre–battle meetings.
The Archaic temple at Isthmia was badly burned in a fire in 480 BC, and the
Doric-style temple remains were repaired using
Classical architecture
Classical architecture usually denotes architecture which is more or less consciously derived from the principles of Greek and Roman architecture of classical antiquity, or sometimes even more specifically, from the works of the Roman architect V ...
style elements.
In 390 BC, during the
Corinthian War
The Corinthian War (395–387 BC) was a conflict in ancient Greece which pitted Sparta against a coalition of city-states comprising Thebes, Athens, Corinth and Argos, backed by the Achaemenid Empire. The war was caused by dissatisfaction with ...
, the
Sparta
Sparta ( Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta refer ...
n king
Agesilaus
Agesilaus II (; grc-gre, Ἀγησίλαος ; c. 442 – 358 BC) was king of Sparta from c. 399 to 358 BC. Generally considered the most important king in the history of Sparta, Agesilaus was the main actor during the period of Spartan hegemony ...
encamped at the sanctuary and the archaic temple of Poseidon was burned down in uncertain circumstances.
The lack of pottery found at the site after the fire indicates that Isthmia entered a period of decreased prosperity at this time.
After
Philip II, King of
Macedon
Macedonia (; grc-gre, Μακεδονία), also called Macedon (), was an ancient kingdom on the periphery of Archaic and Classical Greece, and later the dominant state of Hellenistic Greece. The kingdom was founded and initially ruled by ...
won the
Battle of Chaeronea in 338 BC, he united the Greek city-states into the
League of Corinth
The League of Corinth, also referred to as the Hellenic League (from Greek Ἑλληνικός ''Hellenikos'', "pertaining to Greece and Greeks"), was a confederation of Greek states created by Philip II in 338–337 BC. The League was creat ...
, which was formed at a council at Isthmia. Philip's successor,
Alexander the Great
Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip II to t ...
called a meeting in Isthmia between the Greek city–states to discuss his war with Persia.
During the
Wars of the Diadochi
The Wars of the Diadochi ( grc, Πόλεμοι τῶν Διαδόχων, '), or Wars of Alexander's Successors, were a series of conflicts that were fought between the generals of Alexander the Great, known as the Diadochi, over who would rule ...
after Alexander's death, several successors tried to use Isthmia as a central place in short-lived attempts to unify the Greeks under their control - first
Ptolemy I
Ptolemy I Soter (; gr, Πτολεμαῖος Σωτήρ, ''Ptolemaîos Sōtḗr'' "Ptolemy the Savior"; c. 367 BC – January 282 BC) was a Macedonian Greek general, historian and companion of Alexander the Great from the Kingdom of Macedo ...
in 308 BC and then
Demetrius Poliorcetes, who refounded the League of Corinth at Isthmia in 302 BC.
Roman control
A permanent settlement was established on the Rachi hill to the south of the temple at the end of the fourth century BC. This settlement lasted until it was destroyed by the
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman K ...
in 198 BC, during the
Second Macedonian War. After the Romans defeated Macedon in that war,
Titus Quinctius Flamininus
Titus Quinctius Flamininus (c. 228 – 174 BC) was a Roman politician and general instrumental in the Roman conquest of Greece.
Family background
Flamininus belonged to the minor patrician ''gens'' Quinctia. The family had a glorious plac ...
declared the "Freedom of the Greeks" at Isthmia, cementing the location's status as a symbol of Greek unity and freedom.
In 146 BC, rising tensions between the Greek states and the increasingly hegemonic Romans resulted in a last attempt by the
Achaean League
The Achaean League (Greek: , ''Koinon ton Akhaion'' "League of Achaeans") was a Hellenistic-era confederation of Greek city states on the northern and central Peloponnese. The league was named after the region of Achaea in the northwestern Pel ...
to maintain its independence. The
Achaean War ended in a quick Roman victory, and consul
Lucius Mummius Achaicus
Lucius Mummius (2nd century BC), was a Roman statesman and general. He was consul in the year 146 BC along with Scipio Aemilianus. Mummius was the first of his family to rise to the rank of consul thereby making him a novus homo. He received the ...
ordered the complete destruction of Corinth as an example to all Greeks. The sanctuary was destroyed and control of the Isthmian Games was transferred to
Sicyon
Sicyon (; el, Σικυών; ''gen''.: Σικυῶνος) or Sikyon was an ancient Greek city state situated in the northern Peloponnesus between Corinth and Achaea on the territory of the present-day regional unit of Corinthia. An ancient mon ...
.
The Isthmian Games were returned to Corinth after its refoundation as a
Roman colony
A Roman (plural ) was originally a Roman outpost established in conquered territory to secure it. Eventually, however, the term came to denote the highest status of a Roman city. It is also the origin of the modern term ''colony''.
Character ...
by
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, an ...
in 44 BC. However, it appears that the games were held in Corinth itself and there is little evidence for activity at Isthmia until the mid-first century AD.
The Emperor
Nero
Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68), was the fifth Roman emperor and final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 un ...
visited the site on his tour of Greece in AD 67 and performed in the musical events at the Isthmian Games. A new round of construction in the second century AD was presided over by the local aristocrat, Licinius Priscus Juventianus.
Late Antique, Medieval, and Early Modern periods
In the 4th century AD, Emperor
Constantine the Great
Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to convert to Christianity. Born in Naissus, Dacia Mediterrane ...
banned all pagan religions and artifacts from Isthmia.
The Temple of Poseidon fell into disuse and its material was partly re-used for the building of the
Hexamilion wall
The Hexamilion wall ( el, Εξαμίλιον τείχος, "six-mile wall") was a defensive wall constructed across the Isthmus of Corinth, guarding the only land route onto the Peloponnese peninsula from mainland Greece.
History
Early forti ...
which was used as protection against invading barbarians in the 5th century.
[Gregory, Timothy. "The Sanctuary of Poseidon at Isthmia." OSU Excavations at Isthmia. The Ohio State University. Web. 20 Oct. 2014.]
The
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
captured Isthmia in 1423, and permanently in 1458. Isthmia was fought over by the Turks,
Venetians, and local potentates for over three centuries. In 1715, the Venetians were expelled, and the Ottoman Empire controlled southern Greece for a hundred years until the
Greek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. The Greeks were later assisted ...
.
Excavations
The site was originally found by
Oscar Broneer in 1952 and he then led excavations funded by the University of Chicago which continued until 1967. He excavated the temple, theater, two caves used for dining, and the two stadia used for the Isthmian Games.
Broneer's findings were published in a series of three volumes starting in 1971, and in articles in the ''
Hesperia Journal''.
Elizabeth Gebhard took over management of the University of Chicago finds from Oscar Broneer in 1976.
Between August 16 and November 29, 1989 she led new excavations in the central area of the sanctuary under the auspices of the University of Chicago, mostly to clear up disputes that had arisen over the conclusions Broneer had drawn from his finds. The first report of the 1989 findings was published in ''Hesperia'' in 1992, with subsequent reports following in later years. These excavations helped to uncover evidence relating to all the areas of development of Isthmia from the
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pr ...
to the
Roman period
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Medit ...
, but in particular focused on the Archaic temple, partly because this is the most complete of the buildings found at the site despite being one of the oldest.
[Roux, Georges. ‘Review: Isthmia, Vol. 1, Temple of Poseidon by Oscar Broneer.’ ''American Journal of Archaeology.'' Volume 78, Number 3 (July 1974), pp. 305–306, page 305.]
From 1967, a second set of excavations were undertaken on the northern and eastern parts of the site, led by
Paul A. Clement and funded by
UCLA
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the Californi ...
. He was succeeded by
Timothy E. Gregory of
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publi ...
in 1987, who was himself succeeded by
Jon Frey of
Michigan State University
Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
in 2020.
These excavations focussed largely on the Roman bathing complex and the Byzantine fortress.
Monuments
Temples
The Archaic Temple of Poseidon, which was excavated in 1952 by Oscar Broneer,
[Greek Sanctuaries, New Approaches (1993, pp.154-177)] was built in the Doric style in 700 BC.
The temple was constructed on a plateau, surrounded by valleys and considered the center of the Isthmian sanctuaries. The temple also housed shrines to gods related to Poseidon such as his son, Cyclopes, and the goddess Demeter. A multitude of other named divinities said to have been worshipped within the confines of the temple have links to Demeter, suggesting the Isthmian people's devotion to fertility and harvest.
Evidence including plates, bowls, and animal bones discovered within the ash on the plateau suggest that animal sacrifices of sheep, cattle, and goats took place at the temple on a regular basis and were often a cause for feasting and celebration.
When it burned down in 480 BC, the roof,
Sima (architecture)
In classical architecture, a sima is the upturned edge of a roof which acts as a gutter. The term "sima" comes from the Greek '' simos'', meaning bent upwards.
Form
The sima runs around all four sides of a building. It may be made of terracotta ...
, and columns were replaced using Classical style building elements. There was also a temple built for the god
Apollo
Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...
. Because of the similarities in construction style and building materials between these temples, it can be concluded that they were completed within two generations of building.
[Elizabeth, Gebhard R. "The Archaic Temple at Isthmia: Techniques of Construction." Archaische griechische Tempel und Altägypten. By Manfred Bietak. Wien: Verlag Der Österreichischen Akademie Der Wissenschaften, 2001.] Isthmia was also home to a
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
temple that was built for the worship of Palaimon. The Temple to Palaimon was decorated with roof ornaments of the
Ionic Order
The Ionic order is one of the three canonic orders of classical architecture, the other two being the Doric and the Corinthian. There are two lesser orders: the Tuscan (a plainer Doric), and the rich variant of Corinthian called the composi ...
.
[Gregory, Timothy. "Features of the Upper Sanctuary." OSU Excavations at Isthmia. The Ohio State University. Web. 20 Oct. 2014.]
Stadiums
When the Isthmian Games were founded in 582 BC,
the people of Isthmia built a stadium for the sporting activities. The stadium was rebuilt in the
Hellenistic period
In Classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Mediterranean history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the emergence of the Roman Empire, as signified by the Battle of Actium in ...
and featured a racetrack. The new stadium was built in the valley because the slope allowed for the accommodation of the mass quantities of spectators traveling to Isthmia for the festival.
The East Field
On the eastern side of the temple there is a field with excavated remains of small buildings, most likely houses, that had water facilities and food preparation areas.
[Gregory, Timothy. "The East Field." OSU Excavations at Isthmia. The Ohio State University. Web. 20 Oct. 2014.]
Culture
Isthmia's temples and stadiums highlight its religious, athletic, and political past. The first evidence of religious rituals, however, comes before the erection of the monumental sanctuary. In the Early
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostl ...
, cup and bowl fragments were found on the south-east side of the central plateau. They dated to the proto–geometric period and were surrounded by burnt bones that belonged to goats, sheep, and other animals sacrificed to Poseidon. Beginning in the late 8th century, evidence of a more defined sanctuary space is made with the construction of an altar and
Temenos
A ''temenos'' (Greek: ; plural: , ''temenē''). is a piece of land cut off and assigned as an official domain, especially to kings and chiefs, or a piece of land marked off from common uses and dedicated to a god, such as a sanctuary, holy gro ...
walls. Vessels made of both cheap and luxurious materials were found at this site. This suggests that the common people of Isthmia, not just the rich, were worshiping at the temple. The differences in the material quality of the vessels found at the site also suggests societal separation based on rank.
The first appearance of religious pots date to the 11th century BC.
Vessels and pots from different time periods continued to be found at the site, suggesting that religious rituals for the people of Isthmia were continuous and long-lasting.
In other archaeological excavations, 30 graves containing the remains of 69 people were found. The bodies have been dated to come from different time periods and are spread throughout the areas of excavation, suggesting that habitation in Isthmia was widespread and deep-rooted.
[Rife, Joseph L.. The Roman and Byzantine Graves and Human Remains. Vol. IX. Princeton (N. J.): American School of Classical Studies at Athens, 2012. Print. pp. 113-152] The bodies are also buried using a variety of mortuary ritual processes, showing that Isthmia was an enduring, developing community.
[Rife, Joseph L.. The Roman and Byzantine Graves and Human Remains. Vol. IX. Princeton (N. J.): American School of Classical Studies at Athens, 2012. Print. pp. 153-232.]
References
{{Authority control
Cities in ancient Peloponnese
Ancient Corinthia
Ancient Greek archaeological sites in Peloponnese (region)