Isthmus of Corinth
The narrow land bridge between mainland Greece and the Peloponnese, site of the Isthmian Games and Sinis the bandit.
The Story of Isthmus of Corinth
The Isthmus of Corinth was the four-kilometre neck of land connecting mainland Greece to the Peloponnese, one of the most strategically important points in the ancient world. Here Theseus on his journey from Troezen to Athens encountered and killed the bandit Sinis — called the "Pine Bender" — who murdered travellers by bending two pine trees to the ground, tying victims between them, and releasing the trees. The Isthmian Games, held in honour of Poseidon every two years, were among the four great Panhellenic festivals. The isthmus was the site of multiple attempts to dig a canal, finally completed in 1893 CE.
Parents
{Poseidon (patron of games)}
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Fun Fact
The word "isthmus" comes directly from the Greek "isthmos," meaning neck — and Corinth's isthmus gave the word its definition, becoming the standard term for such geographical features.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
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