The Gulf of Corinth and the Saronic Gulf

The Canal through the Isthmus of Corinth was begun under the Emperor Nero in 67 AD. Wielding a gold shovel, Nero himself was first to break ground, but the canal was not completed. Up to the 12th Century, ships were dragged on rollers across the Isthmus. An Advantageous Location! The Corinthian canal, built during the late Nineteenth Century, connected the Gulf of Corinth with the Aegean. It is only four miles in length and twenty-three meters wide. It was completed between 1882 and 1893. Nero attempted the building of a canal in this place but his efforts met with failure. The canal is an amazing feat, precipitously deep, and in its few short blocks in length joins the Adriatic and the Aegean Seas. Its construction has saved the modern shipping industry from having to choose from one of two onerous alternatives: Unload all cargo and ship by rail or truck across the narrow Isthmus of Corinth and reload the cargo in another ship or sail entirely around the Achaian Peninsula, adding several days and much expense to the voyage.

It wasn’t until the late 1800’s that a French engineer constructed and completed the Corinthian canal which is still in use today.’ (Simon J. Kistemaker)The Greek Corinth canal is a stepchild of the Panama and Suez Canals. The leading canal designer during this period was the French builder of the Suez Canal, Count Ferdinand de Lesseps.