Ancient Corinth - Problems in The History

Problems in The History

A problem faced by historians in the study of Corinth is the lack of written material regarding social life and economy. The writing that is available is either not interested in discussing the economy at all or is irritatingly vague. Historians have turned to archaeological evidence in order to answer questions about these institutions of Corinthian culture. While archaeological evidence is highly useful and informative, it is also speculative and subject to error in interpretation.

Furthermore, natural disasters such as earthquakes and destruction by the Romans under Lucius Mummius in 146 BC almost completely obliterated the Corinth of the Ancient Greeks. Subsequently, the entire city was rebuilt. The current remains of Corinth may reflect a city that was much different from what the Ancient Greeks – or even the Roman invaders – would have seen.

Much of the archaeological evidence can be interpreted using cross cultural comparison to sites with similar evidence and much more detailed histories. They can also compare evidence to cultural phenomena in the present in order to make more exact interpretations. Historians are able to use this evidence in combination with the primary sources they have such as Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon, etc. in order to piece together the history of an ancient culture such as that found in Corinth.

Another problem historians face in the study of not only Corinth but the Ancient World in general, is establishing the border between myth and historical events. Many ancient historians were also entertainers and were concerned with their number of viewers and listeners. It is thought that they would pad out a story to make it more enjoyable if the true history was not interesting enough. As stories were transmitted, different parts of those stories were changed, possibly giving rise to a story that is totally different from the original account. Although such corrupted stories do not tell us exact history, they can provide insight into the culture and concerns of former times.