Roman Corinth

Roman Corinth : 

Roman Corinth BH 448: Christians in an Urban ContextV. Wiles

Stoic Values and the Ancient City : 

Stoic Values and the Ancient City Based on the classical conception of humanity: Humans were thought to be kin to the gods and to share reason with them The world is governed by a universal God who is also Reason (Logos) It was the stoic’s duty to make the laws of the community correspond as closely as possible to the laws of nature Classical society did not see the city as a center of evil because humanity itself was not evil.

Slide 3: 

The city is not a cause but a consequence; not an active entity but an entity that is acted upon by its people. It is a mirror in which their social, economic, and political institutions and values are reflected. The city has been called “a poem composed by its people.” Here one can see the institutions and values, the triumphs and failures expressed in their clearest, most succinct forms. What, indeed, is the city but the people?

Introduction to the Roman City-State of Corinth : 

Introduction to the Roman City-State of Corinth Brief history Overview of the City-State of Corinth

History : 

History Destroyed by Romans in 146 BCE Cicero, 79/77 BCE: The sudden sight of the ruins of Corinth had more effect on me than the actual inhabitants; Re-established by Julius Caeser in March 44 BCE Shattered by earthquakes in 365 & 375; Destroyed by Alaric in 395

Corinthia : 

Corinthia Basic geography Topography

Map of Corinthia : 

Map of Corinthia

General View of Area : 

General View of Area

Satellite Image : 

Satellite Image

Structure of a City-State : 

Structure of a City-State City-state Latin = civitas Greek = polis Urbs (Gk = asty) -- The City Center Territorium (Gk = chora) -- The surrounding countryside

The City-State of Corinth : 

The City-State of Corinth

The City (urbs) of Corinth : 

The City (urbs) of Corinth

The Isthmus : 

The Isthmus

The Seaports : 

The Seaports Lechaion Cenchreae Strabo -- Corinth is called wealthy because of its commerce, since it is situated on the Isthmus and is master of two harbors, of which the one leads straight to Asia, and the other to Italy; and it makes easy the exchange of merchandise from both countries that are so far distant from each other.

Lechaion : 

Lechaion

Cenchreae : 

Cenchreae

Within the Walls : 

Within the Walls Acrocorinth Temple of Aphrodite The Forum Asklepion

The People of Corinth : 

The People of Corinth Ethnicity Settled (44 BCE) by Roman Freedman Also Greeks from area Some Jews (from Sikyon?) Class Freedman -- children would be full citizens

Land Use Analysis of Corinth : 

Land Use Analysis of Corinth

The Physical Aspects of Corinth : 

The Physical Aspects of Corinth Forum Houses

Houses at Corinth : 

Houses at Corinth

Housing Details : 

Housing Details

Technology at Corinth : 

Technology at Corinth Roads and Travel The Diolkos

Roads : 

Roads

The Diolkos : 

A roadway for transporting ships and their cargoes across the Isthmus Ships unloaded at E or W terminus and transported across the diolkos on trollies and reloaded at opposite end. Primarily used for small cargo vessels with expensive cargoes and for warships. The Diolkos

Sea Travel : 

Sea Travel

Political Realities in Corinth : 

Political Realities in Corinth Cursus Honorium Two overlapping political structures Governmental Leadership Structure The Patronage System

Cursus Honorium : 

Cursus Honorium

Two overlapping political Structures : 

Two overlapping political Structures Provincial Government (Rome) Local Government

Provincial Leadership Structure : 

Provincial Leadership Structure Proconsul or Propraetor Chief judge and administrator Authority to convict and carry out sentences Quaestor the financial assistant and advisor to the governor also procurators who had financial responsibilities (responsible to emperor) Legatus -- of senatorial rank Other officials and secretaries deputy chief collector of imperial manumissions tax

Civic Governmental Structures : 

Civic Governmental Structures The People’s Assembly (L: comitia; G: ekklesia) cives -- Citizens of the City does not include incolae or peregrini elected magistrates The Senate(L: decurio; G: boule) central governing power in the cities Theoretically contained 100 members membership held for life property and age qualifications

Senate Responsibilities : 

Senate Responsibilities Public Finances Public Buildings Public Spaces, including roads and rivers Limited judicial authority Bestowed honors on citizens Sent embassies to other cities Responsible for the Isthmian Games

Civic Leadership : 

Civic Leadership Quaestor handled public funds Aedile (G: agoranomoi) 2 chosen each year responsible for public property responsible for providing grain Erastus?

Civic Leadership, continued : 

Civic Leadership, continued Duoviri (magistrates) (G: strategoi) 2 officers elected each year ran meetings of the decurio required that one be in the city at all times considerable pomp and prestige: 2 lictors, 1 body servant, 2 scribes, 2 messengers, a copyist, a herald, a soothsayer, and a flute player names minted on coins some judicial authority

Civic Leadership, continued : 

Civic Leadership, continued Duovir Quinquenanalis Every 5th year the the duoviri took the census Special honor attached to being duovir in this year Always after having previously held the office of duovir Agonothetes Highest office President of the Isthmian Games Provided personal financial support for Games

Patronage : 

Patronage Patron Client Client Client Client Client Client Client Client Client Client Client Client Client Patron Patron Patron Patron Patron

Economic Realities of the Ancient City : 

Economic Realities of the Ancient City Agriculture and Tenancy Manufacturing Sea-trade A Service Economy

Corinth’s Economic Centrality : 

Corinth’s Economic Centrality “the common emporium of Europe and Asia” “the market, common meeting place, and festifal of the Greeks”

Types of Economic Activity : 

Types of Economic Activity Agriculture and Tenancy Manufacturing Sea-trade A Service Economy

Agriculture and Tenancy : 

Agriculture and Tenancy Probably only 10% of the population of Corinthia was engaged in agriculture No more than 10% of the urbs of Corinth would have made their primary income from being agricultural landlords

Manufacturing : 

Manufacturing Most of the original freedman of Caesar’s colony would have been involved in manufacturing in Italy Products included terracotta lamps pottery roof tiles Corinthian bronze

Sea-trade : 

Sea-trade Corinth is called wealthy because of its commerce, since it is situated on the Isthmus and is master of two harbours, of which the one leads straight to Asia, and the other to Italy; and it makes easy the exchange of merchandise from both countries that are so far distant from each other. Strabo

Corinth’s “Travel Industry” : 

Corinth’s “Travel Industry” A stopover for traders engaged in transit trade between eastern and central Mediterranean Direct trade, importing marble, metals, and food Travelers passing through Corinth on their way to Italy or the East -- favorite wintering spot Ovid, Propertius, Apuleius, Apollonius of Tyana, Plutarch, Agrippa, Augustus, Titus, Hadrian Major tourist attraction

A Service Economy : 

A Service Economy Primary Services Secondary Services “It was the provision of services, both to the inhabitants of its local marketing region in the northeastern Peloponnese, and more importantly, to merchanges engaged in long-distance trade, travelers, and tourists, that seems to have been the basis for Corinth’s economy throughout its history.” Engels

Primary Services : 

Primary Services Primary services would include religious educational cultural judicial activities that brought rural residents into the city.

Secondary Services : 

Secondary Services While in the city these individuals would need secondary services such as food, temporary lodging, use of public bath or latrine.

Education in the Ancient City : 

Education in the Ancient City The Gymnasium Philosophy Jewish Education

Education in Corinth : 

Education in Corinth While traveling about the city, you would find wisdom and you would learn and hear it from its inanimate objects. So numerous are the treasures of paintings all about it, wherever one would simply look, throughout the streets themselves and the porticos. And further the gymnasiums and schools are in themselves instruction and stories. Aristeides

Social and Cultural Features at Corinth : 

Social and Cultural Features at Corinth Religion Theatre Sculpture The Games

Religion : 

Religion Local Deities Roman Cults Oriental Religions Judaism

Local Deities at Corinth : 

Local Deities at Corinth Poseidon Aphrodite Athena Tyche (Fortuna) Hermes Bellerophon

Poseidon : 

Poseidon Splendid sanctuary at Isthmia large Doric temple a theater a stadium Auxiliary buildings baths stoas smaller shrines hotel

The Temple of Poseidon : 

The Temple of Poseidon Poseidon = the god of the sea Isthmus was Poseidon’s special home also had a temple at cenchraeae, a sanctuary at Lechaion, as well as numerous statues, altars, and a fountain in Corinth

Aphrodite : 

Aphrodite Corinth known as “the city of Aphrodite” At least 3 sanctuaries within the city, two more at Lechaion and Cenchreae According to myth, Aphrodite had been given Acrocorinth as a gift by Helios Most famous shrine was at top peak of Acrocorinth, containing the famous statue of Armed Aphrodite.

Aphrodite -- Goddess of Love and the Sea : 

Aphrodite -- Goddess of Love and the Sea In the classical Greek period, there were more than 1000 “temple prostitues” for the cult of Aphrodite most highly prized in the Greek world many rose to social prominence Retained her importance in the Roman city Julius Caesar claimed descent from Venus (=Aphrodite) cult statue of Poseidon at Isthmia showed Thalassa holding up the infant Aphrodite

Athena : 

Athena

Tyche : 

Tyche Tyche = Goddess of Fortune An important deity in a high-risk mercantile city Temple D on the West Terrace, overlooking the Forum In this picture, she “wears” the city of Corinth as a crown

Hermes : 

Hermes God of merchants and travelers Also, the messenger of the gods Temple in the West Temple terrace, overlooking the commercial area of the forum

Bellerophon : 

Bellerophon The myth of Pegasus and Bellerophon was localized at Corinth Bellerophon had to leave the city after he killed Belleres. After many adventures, a king commanded him to kill the Chimera. A seer told him that he could only accomplish the king’s task if he could capture and tame the winged horse Pegasus. Bellerophon found the horse drinking from the spring of Peirene at Corinth, and with Athena’s assistance, threw a golden bridle over his head and rode off to kill the Chimera.

The Fountain of Peirene : 

The Fountain of Peirene A sacred, even magical, place Bellephoron had captured Pegasus here.

Roman Cults at Corinth : 

Roman Cults at Corinth The Imperial Cult Victoria Concordia Genius of the Colony and Colonists Jupiter, Neptune, Venus, Apollo

The Imperial Cult : 

The Imperial Cult Many dedicatory or votive inscriptions mentioning priests 63% of Latin inscriptions are to the imperial cult Only one temple--that of Gens Julia--is known to exist Even the Isthmia Games were linked to the imperial cult

Oriental Religions at Corinth : 

Oriental Religions at Corinth Isis and Serapis Cybele

Isis and Serapis : 

Isis and Serapis Isis had one temple in Cenchreae and two at Corinth which were adjacent to two temples of Serapis The Isis and Serapis cults were dispersed through the Mediterranean in 4th and 3rd c. BCE Isis and Serapis were always worshipped together Isis’ two shrines at Corinth concerned different aspects of the goddess Marine Isis was responsible for rendering the seas safe Egyptian Isis included her roles as healer and provider of crops and fertility

The Healing Ministries of Isis and Serapis : 

The Healing Ministries of Isis and Serapis Isis and Serapis were healing gods, often identified with Asklepios and Hygeia by the Greeks Healing through incubation with a divine revelation

Isis Procession : 

Isis Procession

Temple of Isis : 

Temple of Isis

The God Serapis : 

The God Serapis Two shrines at Corinth, located next to those of Isis. The Serapion at Canopus, Egypt, was his most hallowed shrine, served as a training of magi Often Serapia, like Asklepieia, served as training centers for doctors.

Cybele : 

Cybele The “Great Mother” Oversaw fertility

Judaism at Corinth : 

Judaism at Corinth Only evidence of Jewish presence so far revealed by a find of a lintel inscription Lettering is very crude and the date cannot be fixed with any precision [Syna]goge Hebr[aion] Synagogue of the Hebrews

The Theatre : 

The Theatre Built in the last years of the 5th c. BCE Repaired by the Romans late in the reign of Augustus Multi-storied stage wall. Thus, would have been functioning at the time of Paul Held about 14,000 persons

Sculpture : 

Sculpture

The Games : 

The Games The Isthmian games were one of the 3 most important religious and athletic festivals in Greece Celebrated every two years under Corinthian supervision Attracted spectators from all over the central and eastern Mediterranean

Isthmian Contests : 

Isthmian Contests Musical and Literary competitions flutes, trumpets, lyres poets, encomiographers, bards Hippic contests chariots apobatikon epibaterion horse races Athletic contexts foot races pentathlon wrestling boxing

Participation in the Games : 

Participation in the Games Amateurs Quasi-professionals Female participation foot races chariot races

The Games as Public Space : 

The Games as Public Space Philosophers and others Celebrated in 49 and 51, when Paul would have been in Corinth See Paul’s reference to the games in 1 Corinthians

Health at Corinth : 

Health at Corinth Water as Public Policy Asklepion

The Water Supply at Corinth : 

The Water Supply at Corinth

Water as Public Policy : 

Water as Public Policy

Asclepius and his temple : 

Asclepius and his temple

Votive Offerings to Asclepius : 

Votive Offerings to Asclepius

Dining at the Asklepeion : 

Dining at the Asklepeion