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The City of Corinth

Ancient Corinth was located about 40 miles (64 km) west and slightly south of Athens, on the northeastern corner of the Peloponnese peninsula. The famous Isthmus of Corinth was about 5 miles (8 km) to its northeast. Its geographical importance lay in its unique position at the intersection of the eastern and western land routes from Athens and the two bays to the northwest and southeast. This special location was the reason Corinth became such an important city. As a result, it had already become one of Greece’s most prosperous and wealthy commercial cities by the 8th century BCE.

While it was a famous commercial hub, it was also a city known for its moral corruption. On the distant mountain, the Acrocorinth, stood the famous Temple of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. The temple housed thousands of temple prostitutes, known as Hetaira, and many other public prostitutes plied their trade in the city below. People believed that having sexual relations with these temple prostitutes would encourage the gods and goddesses to copulate, bringing various benefits to the worshippers. Ancient Corinth’s temple prostitutes were famous and a significant source of income for the city, with captains, merchants, and soldiers spending lavishly there. It was in this environment that Paul wrote the books of Galatians and Romans during the winter of 56-57 CE.

Image: Ruins of the ancient city of Corinth.
Image: Ruins of the ancient city of Corinth. In the distance, on a large rock, is the Acrocorinth. At its peak was the Temple of Aphrodite, which housed thousands of temple prostitutes called Hetaira. Many other public prostitutes worked in the city of Corinth below.
Image: A view looking north over the Gulf of Corinth from the Acrocorinth, where passing ship captains and merchants would ascend to the acropolis to find temple prostitutes.

Image: The Corinth Diolkos. The city of Corinth was located southwest of the Isthmus of Corinth, which connects the Greek mainland to the Peloponnese peninsula. The city had two ports: Lechaion on the Gulf of Corinth (Ionian Sea) to the northwest and Cenchraea on the Saronic Gulf (Aegean Sea) to the southeast. Before the Corinth Canal was built, all travelers and goods moving between the two bays were transferred via this paved road. Taking advantage of its strategic location, the city of Corinth collected various taxes on trade routes from the north, south, east, and west, which is why it was described as a “wealthy city.”
Image: Ruins of the Temple of Apollo in the ancient city of Corinth. The meat and food sold in the market may have first been sacrificed to the god Apollo.
Image: A Roman butcher shop on a 2nd-century tomb relief. Roman butchers did not drain the blood from the meat as required by Levitical law, and the meat may have also been sacrificed to idols. Therefore, meat sold by Gentiles would have been legally unclean

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