Corinth: Brie

Corinth provided a taste of Archaic Greek architecture and the Roman transformation of an original Greek city. Because the Acropolis in Athens only gives us an example of Greek architecture in the Classical period, the Temple of Apollo at Corinth deserved a visit. Even though only a corner remains of the temple, you could tell that the full product would have produced great awe and a sense of strength. This would have matched the mountainous countryside well, both complementing each other. The Roman forum at Corinth gave us a better sense of a typical forum's layout than the one we saw in Athens. This was achieved by our ability to walk through the majority of it continuously rather than in portions due to the obstruction of modern day Athens. From this, I was able to visualize overall layout and one's progression through the forum beginning at the propylaea ("monumental gateway"). The Bema ("raised platform") especially impacted me, since this was where Apostle Paul would have stood as is recorded in Acts 18:12-17. The experience of walking where great historical figures walked is a common theme on this trip and is so enriching to me. This idea of a Bema - bringing matters personally to the governor out in this bustling public area - intrigued me. I attempted to visualize such a scenario in modern day America on State Street. Lastly, at the forum's entrance, was a good display of the Roman idea of privacy. "Private space" as we think of it today was not present in the Roman idea. We saw public toilets with no partitions between each seat. This space would not have been completely cut off from the main walkway to the propylaea either, which shocked the majority of our group!