The Economy of Ancient Corinth essays

The Economy of Ancient Corinth essays Present and past cultures have many similarities. One similarity comes to mind that stands above them all. I'm referring to the comparison of today's stock market to the exchange of goods within the ancient cities of Greece, in particular, the city of Corinth. One of the most economically important communities in ancient Greece was the city of Corinth. But what made Corinth, or Korinthos as known in those times, such a vital part of the country's commerce? After searching for an answer, I learned that Corinth's most advantageous asset was its geography. Corinth was favorably situated for trade by land and by sea. Located on the narrow Isthmus that connects southern and central Greece, Corinth possessed a unique location compared to any other city (Sacks 1995:66). This site not only allowed Corinth to manage the traffic along the Isthmus, but also made it simple to control passage between the Aegean and Ionian Seas. Another advantage given to this city was the development of a special roadbed built across the Isthmus enabling transshipment of cargo between seas. This emerged as a tremendous benefit to the transport of merchandise as seafarers preferred to avoid the arduous voyage around the tip of southern Greece. Additionally, the development of the roadbed earned Corinth significant revenue from sales and harbor taxes (Martin 1999:1). Corinth's glory days came in the 600s and early 500s B.C. Not only did its shipping network stand above other cities, but it also became a manufacturing center for many products (Sacks 1995:66). As the city prospered, Corinth became famous for its skilled workers in bronze and clay amid the rest of the mercantile world. Among other products, beautifully painted pottery became one of the main exports of Corinth. Its Geometric pottery dominated all markets during this period. It became a luxury item even outside the Greek culture (Grant 1986:187). Excavations in other cultural site...