Ancient Corinth

· Ancient Corinth, the original city of Corinth, was founded by the Greeks in the 10th Century BC and was the largest city in ancient Greece- and its richest port. The Corinth Paul knew had been re-founded by Julius Caesar as a Roman colony in 44 BC.

· The “new’ Corinth established by the Romans was populated with conscripted Italian, Greek, Syrian, Egyptian and Judean freed slaves according to Rome’s formula for managing conquered places. Like Ancient Corinth, New Corinth thrived.

· Strategically located on the Mediterranean Sea, Corinth saw many traders and travelers. And many settled there as well to make their fortunes. Soon there was enormous personal wealth among the ruling class, which was made up of self-made men and a surprising number of self-made women, as well.

· Corinth was known as an especially “wild” city and had a reputation for licentiousness. Paul was faced with a city that was used to coin one of the Greek words for “fornicate,” which was korinthiazomai.

· The ancient Greek historian Strabo reported that there were 1,000 sacred prostitutes in the temple of Aphrodite on the Acrocorinth, which was a 1,886-foot hill that rises above the Corinth to the south.

· Under the Romans, Corinth became the seat of government for Southern Greece or Achaia (Acts 18:12-16). It was noted for its wealth, and for the luxurious, immoral and vicious habits of the people. It had a large mixed population of Romans, Greeks, and Jews.

· Paul visited Corinth in the 50s AD and later wrote of 1 and 2 Corinthians to the Christian community at Corinth. When Paul first visited the city (51 or 52 AD), Gallio, the brother of Seneca, was proconsul of Corinth.

· Paul lived in Corinth for 18 months (Acts 18:1-18), working as a tentmaker and converting as many Jews and pagans as he could. Here he first became acquainted with Aquila and Priscilla, who became his fellow-workers.

· Beginning in 582 BC, in the spring of every second year the Isthmian Games were celebrated in honor of the sea god Poseidon. The Doric Temple of Apollo, one of Corinth's major landmarks, was constructed in 550 BC at the height of the city's wealth.