diolkos

The Diolkos was an ancient paved trackway at the Isthmus of Corinth in Greece, used to haul ships overland between the Aegean and the Ionian seas. The system operated by placing vessels on wheeled platforms or sledges and dragging them along a prepared bed across the isthmus, enabling ships to bypass the long voyage around the Peloponnese.

The route connected Lechaeum on the Corinthian Gulf to Kenchreai on the Saronic Gulf. The track ran across the central isthmus and was maintained as a public infrastructure, with the operation likely requiring teams of workers and the use of lubrication to reduce friction.

Origins are uncertain, but the Diolkos is generally dated to the 7th–6th centuries BCE, with traditional attributions to Corinthian rulers such as Periander. Ancient authors, including Strabo and Polybius, mention it, and it is repeatedly cited as a factor in Corinthian power and the mobility of fleets in the Greek world. It remained in use for many centuries, though details of its later phases are obscure.

Archaeology has uncovered remains and inscriptions at the Isthmus, and the site has been studied since the 19th century. Use declined as maritime routes and technology evolved, and it was eventually superseded by modern canal projects that ended the method.

Related topics include the Isthmus of Corinth and the Corinth Canal.