VIDEOCAST - Corinth: A Portrait of an Idiosyncratic Greek City - Nancy Bookidis

Dr. Nancy Bookidis (Assistant Director Emerita, Corinth Excavations, ASCSA)

Corinth: A Portrait of an Idiosyncratic Greek City

Ancient Corinth was the first, major long-term excavation undertaken in Greece by the American School. Begun in 1896, it has continued with few interruptions since then. Nevertheless, because less is known historically about the city, it has been overshadowed by Athens, for which a great deal more is preserved in the ancient sources. I therefore would like to present an overview of some of the more interesting and unusual monuments of Greek Corinth, beginning in the 8th century B.C. and ending with her destruction by Lucius Mummius in 146 B.C. These paint a picture of a city, ruled by an oligarchy rather than a democracy, that was rich, innovative, and a commercial leader in the Mediterranean.

The School would like to thank the Paul and Alexandra Canellopoulos Foundation for their generous support, and also Barry J. Jacobson for support of the Director’s series.