The castle of Acrocorinth
Acrocorinth Castle lies to the
north-west of Corinth,
crowning a 575
metre
high
crag of the same name. Its perimeter
walls total approximately 3,000 metres in length, making it the largest
fortress in the Peloponnese and one of the
most important in the region, strategically situated at the entrance to the
Morea.
Acrocorinth
is a typical example of castle architecture built in successive phases, as it
was the fortified citadel of both ancient and medieval Corinth. Three successive defensive walls lead
via an equal number of gates to the interior, covering 240,000 square metres,
where building ruins of all periods still survive. A two-storey keep and
enclosure built by the Franks on the south-west side of the castle was modified
under Ottoman rule.
The
first phase in the history of the walls dates to the 7th-6th
century BC, which was a time of prosperity for the city of Corinth. The next important phase dates to
the 4th or the first half of the 3rd century; in 146 BC
the walls were destroyed by the Roman Lucius Mummius. Justinian is believed to
have carried out repair works in the 6th century, and substantial efforts
at fortification were made in the Middle Byzantine period (8th-12th
c.).
When the castle was taken by the Franks in 1210, its defender Leo Sgouros chose
to commit suicide by leaping off the walls on horseback rather than to
surrender. Over the following centuries numerous repairs and improvements were
made, by both the Franks and the Palaeologi, at a time when the city of Corinth seems to have
moved inside the castle. Works were also carried out by the Ottoman conquerors
(1458-1823), and by the Venetians, who reinforced parts of the walls during the
second Venetian occupation (1687-1715).
The
interior of the castle still contains the ruins
of the temple of Aphrodite
(5th-4th century BC),
the spring of
Ano
Peirini,
several Christian
churches, a Byzantine underground cistern, mosques,
fountains etc.
Glossary (0)
Information Texts (1)
Justinian I:
Byzantine Emperor
(527-565), nephew and successor of Justin I. One of his first acts was to
reform the tax system and recode Theodosius’ laws. He was personally involved
in religious conflicts and convened the 5th Ecumenical Council
(553). Justinian considered himself primarily an orthodox emperor and took
harsh measures against the remaining pagans. Many of his political and fiscal
actions provoked strong reactions on the part of the senate and the factions
and led to the Nika Riots. Justinian instigated numerous building projects,
erecting approximately 30 churches in Constantinople,
including the famous church
of Agia Sophia.
Regarding foreign policy, he successfully confronted the Persians and the
Vandals in the East and focused on the recovery of the West. This he temporarily
achieved, but at such cost that the Empire was left exhausted; the barbarians in
the Balkans plundered the Greek peninsula as far as the Isthmus and barbarian
tribes settled at the borders. His military operations exhausted Byzantium financially and
militarily and had no real effect, as Italy and other areas he conquered
were soon lost again. After his death, the weakened empire had to face new
attacks, culminating in the Arab conquests, which negated the majority of
Justinian’s conquests beyond the borders.
Bibliography (4)
1. Αν. Κουμούση, Ακροκόρινθος, Υπουργείο Πολιτισμού, Athens, 2001
2. J. L. Rife, ‘Leo’s Peloponnesian Fire-Tower and the Byzantine Watch-Tower on Acrocorinth’ in Archaeology and History in Roman, Medieval and Post-Medieval Greece: Studies on Method and Meaning in Honor of Timothy E. Gregory, W. Caraher, L. J. Hal, R. Scott Moore, Aldershot, 2008
3. Υπουργείο Πολιτισμού και Τουρισμού | Κάστρο Ακροκορίνθου, http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/3/gh352.jsp?obj_id=15661
4. Μνημεία Κορίνθου, http://www3.ascsa.edu.gr/media/corinth/monuments.swf
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