Having crossed the isthmus and looking back north towards mainland Greece, this is the view Paul would have seen just before arriving in Corinth.
Turning to look south towards Corinth, an enormous rock monolith rises out of the landscape and dominates the area! This is the Acrocorinth … or “upper Corinth.” This is the acropolis of Corinth.
In the same way that the Acropolis of Athens is the sacred place of temples devoted to the worship of the goddess Athena, so also the acropolis of Corinth is the sacred place of the Temple of Aphrodite – the goddess of love and beauty.
The Temple of Aphrodite was well-known for its many temple priestesses/prostitutes dedicated to the worship of this goddess.
The city of Corinth is situated right at the base of the Acrocorinth, with the Acrocorinth rising high above and overshadowing the city.
In the same way, the events occurring in worship to the goddess Aphrodite overshadowed everything about life in the city of Corinth.
From high atop the Acrocorinth views are unlimited in all directions … looking out westward towards the Gulf of Corinth … and looking eastward out towards the Saronic Gulf.
The Acrocorinth likewise is visible from miles away at sea. Sailors and ship merchants probably viewed the Acrocorinth almost like a huge ancient billboard inviting them to come worship at the temple Aphrodite. Which, of course, it only seems logical that many of them would have. Thus, bringing even more wealth not only to the temple but also the city of Corinth.
With Corinth located at the gateway to the Peloponnesian Peninsula, it would also seem likely that travelers leaving the peninsula heading north to mainland Greece probably would have stopped to worship with the priestess prostitutes at the temple of Aphrodite. And those traveling south from the mainland to the peninsula, would likewise have stopped to do some worshipping as well.
This was Corinth.
