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Acrocorinth
KLAUS FREITAG

Located in the territory of Corinth,

Acrocorinth is the name of Table Mountain
on which a strong fortification was built.
Because of its height of 575 m, it is visible from
all directions. The significance of the fortification was immense in ancient times. Most
of the mountainside drops away steeply and
represents a natural protection. In addition,
Acrocorinth was improved step by step. The
nearby urban center of Corinth could be kept
under control and roads in the region could be
guarded from Acrocorinth. These overland
routes led to the Peloponnese across the
Isthmus. Probably the Corinthian tyrants
built the primary fortifications in the sixth or
seventh centuries BCE. During the Hellenistic
period, Acrocorinth was mostly secured by
garrisons of Hellenistic kings. It can be

Figure 1

assumed that Philip II and Alexander stationed

forces there, as well as the Hellenistic rulers
Antipater, Polyperchon, Ptolemy (in 308/7
BCE), Cassander, Demetrios Poliorketes, and
Antigonos Gonatas (Table in Wiseman 1979).
Acrocorinth was one of the fetters of Greece,
besides Chalkis and Demetrias (Polyb. 7.12;
18.45). Aratos of Sikyon expelled the Macedonian garrison from Acrocorinth in 243 BCE.
This resulted in Corinth becoming part of the
Achaian League. The surrender of Acrocorinth
was the price Aratos was compelled to pay for
an alliance with Antigonos III Doson in 223
(Plut. Cleom. 19; Arat. 41; Polyb. 2.52.23).
One year before, the Spartan king Kleomenes
had captured Corinth and Acrocorinth. After
the battle of Sellasia in 222, he had to give up
Acrocorinth, but the fortification continued to
be controlled by the Macedonians. In 196,
Corinth was again turned over to the Achaian
League after the battle of Kynoskephalai. The
Macedonian forces were replaced by the

The entrance and stone walls of Acrocorinth, Greece. Photograph Richard Nowitz / Getty.

The Encyclopedia of Ancient History, First Edition. Edited by Roger S. Bagnall, Kai Brodersen, Craige B. Champion, Andrew Erskine,
and Sabine R. Huebner, print pages 4748.
2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Published 2013 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
DOI: 10.1002/9781444338386.wbeah14007

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Romans, who remained there until 194. Before
the Romans withdrew, the fortifications were
almost razed; further damage followed in 146,
when the Romans, under L. Mummius, were
fighting against the Achaians. The famous
sanctuary of Aphrodite of Acrocorinth stood
on the highest point. According to Strabo, the
temple was rich, with more over one thousand
sacred prostitutes dedicated to Aphrodite
(Strabo 8.6.20). This idea has been challenged
recently with good arguments (Budin 2009).
A house with a fountain was situated below
the sanctuary, in a hollow to the south of
the peak. It was named in imperial times,
Upper Peirene or Great Peirene (Paus.
2.4.46). Strabo emphasizes the pure quality
of the drinking water from the fountain.
Furthermore, he describes impressively the
view of the surrounding area from Acrocorinth
(Strabo 8.6.21). As a result of the structural
alterations of the fortification, it can be
assumed that Acrocorinth was even used in
the Byzantine, Venetian, and Turkish periods.

The present remains represent a mainly medieval phase, with the influence of Ottoman
architecture. An ancient tower has been preserved within the entrance of the fortification.
An important sanctuary of Demeter and Kore
is situated in the east of the great north ravine
of Acrocorinth (Paus. 2.4.6).
REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READINGS
Budin, S. L. (2009) The myth of sacred prostitution
in antiquity. Cambridge.
Carpenter, R. M. and Bon, A. (1936) Corinth, vol. 3,
part 2: The defenses of Akrokorinth and the lower
town, with a contribution by A. W. Parsons.
Cambridge, MA.
Merker, G. S. (2000) Corinth, vol. 18, part 4: The
sanctuary of Demeter and Kore: terracotta figurines
of the Classical, Hellenistic and Roman periods.
Princeton.
Wiseman, J. (1978) The land of the ancient
Corinthians. Goteborg.
Wiseman, J. (1979) Corinth and Rome. ANRW
II.7.1: 438548. Berlin.