ISTHMUS OF CORINTH

Only 13km from the campsite there is the famous Isthmus Canal of Corinth. It is an impressive achievement since the canal has a length of 6km and at some areas the height reaches 80m. The gap is over 80m at certain banks. The excavation was executed from 1882 till 1893 by a French and subsequently a Greek company. Since then it is the most important passage for ships that sail from the Adriatic to the Aegean and the Black Sea and vice-versa. Before the canal was constructed the ships had to go around the Peloponnese, a voyage that apart of the extra miles also hid hazards such as piracy and dangerous seas. This led to attempts to open a canal, from ancient times, but which failed due to the inadequate technology. As a middle solution, tyrant Periandros (one of the seven wise men of the ancient times) built the "Diolko" in the beginning of the 4th century bC. This was a stone-paved road, 3,5-5m wide, which had in the middle of the carriageway two deep parallel runs. On them rolled the wheals of a machine (olkos) that transported the ship. This solution, although cheap and relatively quick in construction, had a high cost and functional difficulties, a fact that restricted its use for mainly military operations. Although restricted in its use, the "Diolko" was functional for a much longer period than what Periandros would have anticipated for the simple reason that there was no alternative solution, although subsequent efforts for the creation of the canal were made by Dimitri the Besieger, Julius Caesar, Caligula and Nero who made the most serious effort, in the year 67 aD, but works stopped after his death. Thus "Diolko" remained in use until the 7th century aD. In the Isthmus area one can also admire the ruins of Poseidon temple.