14. The Acrocorinth
Best View in the Ancient World
My last stop before I had to return the car in Athens was the Acrocorinth. I was really excited to see this as I hadn’t stopped in Corinth on the last trip. I could see the fortification way, way up there as Veronica and I drove by, but didn’t have enough time to make a visit. This time, I was going to do it.
In ancient times, according to myth, King Sisyphus was awarded a spring by the river god, Asopus. The god wanted to know who had ravished his daughter and Sisyphus had the intel. He wouldn’t give it up until Asopus had produced the fresh water spring.
Water feature installed, the river god demanded the name. Sisyphus gave it up without any additional prodding. He pointed up to the heavens and mouthed, “Zeus.” So much for the river god’s revenge fantasy. Nobody challenged the King of the Gods. Besides, when wasn’t Zeus ravishing someone’s daughter?
The fortress sits on a high promontory overlooking the modern city and the Gulf of Corinth. It was continuously occupied from archaic times up to the 19th century as its fortifications were unbreachable and the aforementioned water source within the walls which made sieges almost impossible. Also, it was in the prime position to defend the Isthmus of Corinth which was the gateway to the Peloponnese.
Brenda, my GPS frenemy, was surprisingly cooperative in getting me to the general vicinity of Acrocorinth but as soon as I got close, she had decided that she had done enough and would only repeat over and over “Your destination is on the left”. Yep, left about 2 miles up this small mountain. There had to be a better way.
Sure enough, even though Brenda wasn’t talking, I could see on the map that there was a teeny, little road snaking up the hillside. I prayed it wasn’t a goat path and took off. It was an actual road! A paved road that went right up to a parking lot at the base of the fortress. I guess Brenda really does have a grudge against me — she tried to make me climb that mountain! Rude.
Even with the parking lot so close, there was a tremendous amount of climbing involved just inside the fortress. It was enormous. And within the walls, the mountain continued to rise and rise and rise.
Get Schmoolia Schmelby’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
At the top was the lookout tower (I guess?) and a temple to Aphrodite. Why the goddess of love was being honored in this place of war was anybody’s guess.
Aside from the vertical ascent, the most challenging part of the whole site is the approach to the gate. It was paved with stones which were slick from thousands of years of use. Really slick. Even with my hiking boots I couldn’t get a purchase. I had to crab walk sideways over to the wall and pull myself along, hand over hand.
Maybe I was being a sissy, but all I could think about was poor Rosalie with her twisted ankle and stitched up knees. I just really, really did not want to wipe out and spend the rest of the trip in a wheelchair. That would really cut into my hill climbing, fortress seeing time.
The picture doesn’t capture the slicktitude of those rocks, however. You’ll just have to trust me. Going back down was even worse.
So, I climbed.
It was totally worth every step I took, every gallon of sweat, every ragged breath cursing my lack of fitness. I made it to the top and had a 360 degree view of the Isthmus of Corinth, the gulf and a smidge of the Peloponnese. I even forced myself onto the roof of the tower. Phobia or no phobia, I was going all the way to the top.
Worth it.
