Isthmus of Corinth
Narrow land bridge connecting the Peloponnese to mainland Greece.
The Isthmus of Corinth, a 6.3-kilometer strip of land near the city of Corinth, links the Peloponnese peninsula to the Greek mainland. In antiquity, it was recognized as the boundary between the Peloponnese and the rest of Greece. The geographer Strabo, writing in the first century AD, recorded a stone marker on the isthmus that carried two inscriptions: one facing east toward Megara declared, "Here is not Peloponnesus, but Ionia," while the other, facing west toward the Peloponnese, read, "Here is Peloponnesus, not Ionia." Plutarch attributed this stele to the Attic hero Theseus, who supposedly set it up on his journey to Athens. To the west lies the Gulf of Corinth, and to the east the Saronic Gulf. Since 1893, the Corinth Canal has cut through the isthmus, effectively turning the Peloponnese into an island. Today, two road bridges, two railway bridges, and two submersible bridges at each end of the canal connect the mainland to the Peloponnese, with a military emergency bridge also located at the canal’s western end.
The idea of a canal to spare ships the long voyage around the Peloponnese was considered by the ancient Greeks. The tyrant Periander made the first attempt in the 7th century BC but abandoned it due to technical challenges, instead building a simpler stone portage road called the Diolkos, whose remnants survive near the modern canal. Under Roman rule, various approaches were tried. Julius Caesar saw the value of a link for his colony Colonia Laus Iulia Corinthiensis. During Tiberius’s reign, engineers attempted a canal but lacked the necessary equipment, so they adopted an Egyptian method: ships were rolled across the isthmus on logs, a practice in use by AD 32. In AD 67, the philhellene emperor Nero ordered 6,000 slaves—whom the historian Flavius Josephus identified as Jewish pirates captured by Vespasian—to dig a canal with spades. According to Pliny the Elder, the work progressed about 0.8 kilometers before Nero died the following year; his successor Galba abandoned the project as too costly. In modern times, the idea was seriously proposed in 1830, shortly after Greek independence, and the canal was completed in 1893 after eleven years of construction.
Near the canal runs the ancient stone trackway of the Diolkos, once used to drag ships overland, and there are significant concerns about its preservation. Greek campaigners are urging th
- width
- 6.3 km (3.9 mi)
- location
- Near Corinth, Greece
- bodies_of_water
- Gulf of Corinth to the west, Saronic Gulf to the east
- canal_completed
- 1893
- notable_ancient_feature
- Diolkos (stone portage road)
- defensive_structure
- Hexamilion wall
Lore & Background
In the first century AD, the geographer Strabo noted a stele on the Isthmus bearing two inscriptions: one toward the east reading 'Here is not Peloponnesus, but Ionia' and one toward the west reading 'Here is Peloponnesus, not Ionia.' Plutarch ascribed the stele's erection to the Attic hero Theseus. The idea for a canal was long considered by the Ancient Greeks. The first attempt was by the tyrant Periander in the 7th century BC, who abandoned it due to technical difficulties and instead built the Diolkos, a stone portage road. Under Roman rule, Julius Caesar foresaw advantages, and engineers under Tiberius tried to dig a canal but lacked modern equipment, instead rolling boats across on logs. In AD 67, Emperor Nero ordered 6,000 slaves to dig with spades; historian Flavius Josephus writes these slaves were Jewish pirates taken by Vespasian. The work advanced about 0.8 km before Nero's death ended the project.
Reader's Guide
The Isthmus of Corinth has long been a strategic and symbolic divide between the Peloponnese and mainland Greece. Its significance is underscored by the ancient stele marking the boundary and by repeated efforts to cut a canal, from Periander's Diolkos to Nero's slave-driven excavation. The modern Corinth Canal, completed in 1893 after eleven years of work, finally made the Peloponnese an island, fulfilling an ambition that spanned millennia. Today, the isthmus is crossed by road bridges, railway bridges, and submersible bridges, as well as a military emergency bridge. Preservation concerns focus on the Diolkos, an ancient stone trackway used for dragging ships, with Greek campaigners calling for greater government protection. The Hexamilion wall, a Roman defensive wall across the isthmus, remains the largest single archaeological structure in Greece.
Did You Know?
- The Isthmus is 6.3 km (3.9 mi) wide.
- A stele on the isthmus bore inscriptions marking the boundary between Peloponnesus and Ionia.
- The first canal attempt was by the tyrant Periander in the 7th century BC, who instead built the Diolkos.
- Emperor Nero ordered 6,000 Jewish pirates to dig a canal in AD 67, advancing about 0.8 km.
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