Korintus

Korintus, in Indonesian usage, refers to Corinth, an ancient Greek city-state on the Isthmus of Corinth in the Peloponnese, Greece, and to the modern town nearby. The site occupied a strategic land route between the Aegean and Ionian seas, linking the Greek mainland with the Peloponnese and controlling important harbors such as Lechaion on the western coast and Cenchreae on the eastern side. Today, the area is part of Greece’s regional unit of Korinthia.

Historically, Corinth rose to prominence in the Archaic and Classical periods as a major maritime and commercial power, building extensive trade networks and founding colonies in the western Mediterranean and Aegean. The city was known for its wealth, distinctive architecture, and its role in regional rivalries, notably with Athens and Sparta. The Acrocorinth fortress dominated the inland hilltop, and the Isthmian Games were celebrated nearby, underscoring Corinth’s religious and cultural significance.

In 146 BCE, Corinth was destroyed by Rome after its conquest of Greece, but it was later rebuilt as a major Roman city, flourishing again as a provincial capital and commercial hub. In the Christian era, Corinth became the site of correspondence by the Apostle Paul; the New Testament contains First and Second Epistles to the Corinthians, addressing issues of church life, ethics, and theology.

Modern Corinth sits at the site of the ancient city and serves as a regional centre in Greece’s Korinthia. The Corinth Canal, completed in the 19th century, connects the Aegean with the Ionian Sea. Archaeological remains, including the acropolis at Acrocorinth and other ruins, are accessible to visitors and scholars.