The Corinthian Canal was a construction dream – a challenge that lasted 2,300 years. From the testimonies of ancient writers, it appears that the Tyrant of Corinth, Periander, was the first to think of opening the Isthmus, around 602 B.C..
What About it?
Due to its geographical location, “Afneios Corinth” has emerged from antiquity as an important naval, commercial, and cultural center. The difficulty of transporting goods by land prompted the Tyrant of Corinth, Perianus Perianus, to build the famous “diolkos”, a paved walkway, ‘dressed’ with wood, on which the ships of the time slid, smeared with grease, to cross the Isthmus from one coast to the other. The very expensive tolls paid to Corinth were the most important income of the city.
From the testimonies of ancient writers, it appears that Periander was the first to think about the opening of the Isthmus, around 602 BC. However, he quickly abandoned his plan, fearing that it would provoke the wrath of the gods, following the oracle of Pythia that he was telling: “Don’t build an isthmus, but don’t build it.
For Zeus was made an island, and he was a devil’. It is most likely that the oracle was provoked by the priests of the various temples, who feared that by opening the Isthmus they would lose the rich gifts and offerings of the merchants, who would no longer have a reason to stay in Corinth.
However, the main reason that forced Periander to abandon his plan was not divine wrath per se, but the enormous technical difficulties of the project and the economic interests of Corinth, which wished to maintain its privileged position as the “key” of the transit trade of the Mediterranean.
Besides, the continuation of the ‘passage’ of ships through the ‘diolkos’ did not present any particular problems in Corinth, because the ships of the time were small (triremes) and the muscular strength of the slaves and animals was sufficient for this purpose.
Later
Three centuries later, in 307 BC, Demetrius Poliorcetes attempted to implement the same plan but abandoned the idea when the Egyptian engineers he brought for this purpose assured him that the difference in the level of the Corinthian Sea from the Saronic Sea was such that the waters of the Corinthian Sea that would flow into the Saronic Sea would flood it, resulting in the devastation of Aegina and the neighboring islands and coasts.
Where Great Minds Meet
During the Roman era, Julius Caesar in 44 BC and Caligula in 37 BC made similar plans, which were abandoned for political and military reasons.
Nero based himself on these plans when he decided in 66 AD to carry out the project. Work began in 67 AD on both ends (Corinthian and Saronic), and thousands of workers were used at that time.
The work was started by the Emperor himself, on 28 November, by giving the first blow on the Isthmus land with a golden ax.
Excavation work had progressed to 3,300 m but was halted when Nero was forced to return to Rome to face the rebellion of General Galba. Finally, on Nero’s death – which occurred shortly after his return – the project was abandoned.
The seriousness and thoughtfulness of his efforts are demonstrated by the fact that during the final opening of the canal, in modern times, 26 test wells, each 10 meters deep, and various trenches of his time were found.
(Thank you) Next
The next attempt to open the Corinthian canal was Herod Atticus, but his efforts were almost immediately halted, as were those of the Byzantines who followed. Centuries later, the Venetians tried to open the isthmus, this time starting the excavation from the Corinthian Sea. The great difficulties they encountered, however, led to the interruption of the work once again.
The end of Ottoman rule found Greece on the threshold of the industrial era. The conditions were more favorable and the governor Ioannis Kapodistrias, foreseeing the great importance that the construction of the canal would have for the country’s development in general, commissioned the relevant study to a specialist engineer. However, the sum of 40 million gold francs, which was deemed necessary according to the budget for the execution of the project, could not be found on the international financial market, much less from the Greek budget. Thus, the Governor’s effort was abandoned.
