BRIEF GUIDE TO THE KORINTHIA

THE ARGOLID: MYCENAE, TIRYNS, EPIDAVROS:

[How to get there: By car simply drive down the Argos road (the road running south in front of the hotel).  Mycenae and Tiryns are just off the main Argos road and Epidavros is easily reached from Nafplion.  By bus, you should get the Argos/Nafplion bus in Korinth (at the Argolid bus terminal--see discussion under busses above).  You can get off at Fychti and walk to Mycenae, or get off at Tiryns, although it may be easier to go directly to Argos and take busses from there.  The bus to Epidavros leaves from Nafplion.  Alternatively, you can reverse this itinerary, and take the new ]

From Ancient Korinth you are within an hour's drive of some of the most famous and important sites of the Ancient World.  These include the great Bronze Age citadels of Mycenae and Tiryns, perhaps the most important centers of the  world. 

From Ancient Korinth you pass along one of the ancient roads that led from the Korinthia to the Argolid, along the valley of the Xeropotamos River.  You pass through the rich agricultural villages of Hiliomodi and Agios Vasilios to the Dervenakia Pass, then down into the Argolid.  Shortly thereafter, on the left (east), there appears the stark akropolis of Mycenae, the home of Agamemnon and Klytemnestra and site of many of the tragedies that visited the House of Atreus.

At MYCENAE, going past the many tourist stands and tacky hotels, you pass the so-called Treasury of Atreus on your left (this is generally better left to visit after the site).  From the parking lot, you ascend to the famous Lion Gate, built in the last days of Mycenae, when the city may already have been under threat.  It is a powerful symbol of the strength of the city.  Past the Lion Gate, notice the circular area to the right.  This is Grave Circle A, the burial ground where many of the kings of Mycenae were laid to rest.  Heinrich Schliemann excavated this area, and little of it is now left, except for the huge "shafts" at the bottom which once contained the rich gold treasures that form a major part of the collection of the National Museum in Athens. 

Ascending the slippery paths, you come finally to the palace itself.  This has been largely destroyed by later classical constructions and landfalls, but you can still make out the fine rectilinear construction and the remains of the throne room (with the circular hearth in the center partially restored).  The housing area of the palace was presumably at the very top of the hill, but this has completely disappeared; all that is left are some remains of a much later temple of Athena.  Before leaving Mycenae, don't miss the extension of the site to the east, including the cistern dug down to reach water that was outside the walls--be sure to bring your flashlight if you decide to go down; it's very dark!  On the return to the exit, you should visit the so-called tomb of Klytemnestra on the left (note the seats of the later theater built above it) and Grave Circle B (just to the left of the exit).  Below the parking lot on the way to the modern village stop at the tholos tomb known as the Treasury of Atreus (on the right); your ticket for the palace will gain you admission to the "Treasury."  Note the lintel over the door, weighing about 188 tons, and the careful construction of the enormous interior, including the special chamber off to the right.

TIRYNS is not perhaps as spectacular as Mycenae, because its setting is not so powerful, but you should remember that Tiryns was probably an island during the Late Bronze Age.  Its walls are, if anything, more powerful than those of Mycenae and the plan of the palace itself is better preserved.  Note the complex arrangements for defense at the entrance: an attacker would have to have gone through a virtual maze to reach the interior of the palace.  At the southeast corner you should go down and look at the well-preserved galleries, polished by centuries of use as sheepfolds.  The plan of the palace can be seen in a convenient display set up near the entrance.  Be sure not to miss the bathroom and the "secret stairway" to the outside.  Adventurous visitors should go outside the walls on the west to see the cisterns cut well into the ground there.

EPIDAVROS is today best known for the production of ancient plays in Modern Greek translation, and you may wish to take in one of these performances while you are in Korinth (they are usually given on Friday and Saturday evenings; the traffic on the return is the only serious problem but this has been ameliorated by completion of the new highway).  In fact, what is generally known as Epidavros, is the Sanctuary of Asklepios; the city of Epidavros was located on the coast at Palaia Epidavros.  From the 4th century B.C. this was one of the most famous healing centers of Greece and people came from all parts of the Mediterranean to consult the god and his physician-priests. 

            The Theater is extraordinarily well-preserved and certainly worth the visit; you will see hundreds of tourists there, many of them standing or speaking at the very center of the orchestra to test the excellent acoustics.  The Theater is, of course, still used for regular performances during the summer. 

            Many tourists visit only the Theater, but you should try to see the rest of the site.  Unfortunately, the architecture is rather difficult to figure out, since most of the larger pieces have been removed to the museum, where some of them have been set up in absolutely spectacular displays.  On the site, you should notice the large gymnasium, the stadium, the Temple of Asklepios, and the hundreds of bases for dedications made by patients who had been healed by the god.  In addition, a major program of reconstruction is now underway, designed to restore the Propylaea to the Gymnasium, the Tholos, and other buildings.  Many pieces of the superstructure of these structures have survived and it will be possible to carry out accurate rebuilding.  In the museum you should note the many examples of ancient medical instruments and some of the dedications in the first room, testifying to the many miraculous cures that were carried out by the god.

[How to get there: ancient Nemea is located at the village of Herakleia, east of the modern village of Nemea.  It is very near the new road from Korinth to Tripolis and easily reached from the old road Korinth-Argos; the turn-off to the right is well marked.  Many busses go from Korinth to (New) Nemea; ask to get off at Archaia Nemea, or Mousio Nemeas.]

Nemea was never a city, but a Panhellenic religious sanctuary, like Isthmia.  It was dedicated to Zeus and the site of games which were supposedly founded in the heroic period, either by Herakles after he had slain the Nemean lion or by the "Seven" against Thebes as funeral games for a local infant prince.  Most recent excavations (study still in progress) have been carried out by the University of California at Berkeley under the direction of Stephen Miller.  The new museum is one of the best in Greece and is itself worth the short diversion to the site; there you will see a spectacularly manicured and well-watered lawn, a real rarity in Greece.                   

The main surviving feature of Nemea is the Temple of Zeus, a limestone building of the latter 4th century B.C. with tall, thin columns and an adyton, or crypt, at the western end.  To the east are the foundations of a remarkably long altar.  To the south (closer to the museum) are a bath (covered with a roof) and the remains of various structures, probably a hotel for visitors and treasuries.  In early Christian times a church was built on the foundations of the hotel.  Some distance to the southeast is the stadium, which was exposed in a series of spectacular earth-moving projects (now continuing since the main road into the village has been moved).  The stadium is not now normally open to the public, but its size and some of its features--starting line and water-channel--can be seen from behind the fence.  Along the western side a 4th-century B.C. vaulted tunnel was discovered; this was the entrance into the stadium for the athletes (similar to that at Olympia) and graffiti scratched by the competitors line the walls.

Excavations at the nearby site of Tzoungiza (a hill to the west) have recently been carried out by Bryn Mawr College, and an extensive survey has collected evidence for settlement in the area in all periods.

            The museum, with its beautifully maintained grounds, houses the workrooms of the excavation and contains important displays, including a history of the site in early modern times.  Prehistoric material from the vicinity is also contained in the museum.

SIKYON:

  [How to get there:  Sikyon is west of Korinth, on a plateau south of (up from) modern Kiato.  By car one can drive along the National Highway to Kiato, and then follow the main road to the south for about 5 km.  Kiato can be reached by frequent bus from Korinth; there are infrequent busses (approximately 4 per day) from Kiato to Sikyon, just past the village of Vasiliko.  If you are pressed for time, take a taxi.]

          Sikyon was Korinth’s nearest neighbor in ancient times and it shared in the agricultural wealth of the Korinthian plain.  Sikyon was particularly important in archaic times, and it retained considerable significance in later years.  Excavations have not been very extensive, so most of the city lies under the vineyards of the vicinity.  The bust stops at the remains of a Roman bath, which is the museum of the site; at present the museum is not open to the public, pending repairs and restoration.  To the east of the bath are the now largely indistinct remains of the agora, with a temple and council-house.  To the south is the extensive Gymnasium of Kleinias, constructed on two levels; particularly interesting are the two fountains located beside stairways linking the levels.  To the west of the gymnasium is a large theater, built in the early 3^rd century B.C.  Sikyon is hardly ever visited and its ruins provide a pleasant escape from the crowded tourist sites on the main roads.

THE MOUNTAINS:

Although the northern part of the Korinthia is, as we have seen, one of the richest agricultural plains of Greece, the southern Korinthia is mountainous and remote, dotted with villages that are still far removed from the modern world.  The mountainous area of the Korinthia can be divided into two areas, a smaller one to the east (between the Korinth-Argos road and the Saronic Gulf) and a larger area to the west that marks the boundary between the Korinthia and Arkadia.

[How to get there.  The eastern area may be reached by roads leading to the villages of Sophiko and Angelokastro; there is easy access by car from the main Epidavros road.  The western area may be reached by any of the three major roads that run southward from the coast, from Kiato to Derveni, to the villages of Kaliani, Panariti, Trikala, Karea, etc.).  There are infrequent busses to some of these places.  Hiking in the mountains is possible, and highly recommended.]

The eastern mountains are covered with luxuriant growths of Peloponnesian pines, and many of the inhabitants make their living collecting the "retsina" (sap) that oozes from the trees.  There are few major roads in this area and little agriculture, except in the narrow winding valleys.  In the west the mountains are higher, rising up to form the first ranks of the major ranges of the central Peloponnesos.  The landscape becomes obviously Alpine in the higher reaches, and there is mixed farming in some of the upland plains.  Snow remains on the top of Mt. Kilene at the edge of this region until mid-June and many of the villages are inhabited only in the summer months.  In fact, transhument pastoralism is still practiced in the area, and some shepherds bring their flocks to the mountains in the spring, descending to the plain near Xylokastro in the autumn.