Hello Steem people 😀!!!

  Today I will tell you a little story about my early childhood years andI will take you with me to a trip back in time when I was a little girl! And with the eyes of this little girl, I will try to make my narration as realistic as possible!!! So growing up in Corinth, Greece was more beautiful than words can describe really  ❤ ! 

But if I had to do it the proper way, I would have to take you on a trip back in time, when I used to live with my grandma in a lovely tiny village- we were about 70 people all and all- on the slopes of a little prairie by Corinth Canal named Isthmia 😀!!!      

In the photo bellow, you can see behind me the Tower of the Corinth Canal and the start of the canal from the Saronic Gulf (East) towards the Corinthian Gulf ( West)!

Going back in time! 

Isthmia has great Historical importance by all means  😀 !!! 

It used to host one of the four Ancient games along with Olympics, Pythia and Nemea!!! According to mythology, the founder of the Isthmus was Poseidon, for others Theseus. Nobody can be sure though! Their story begins in 582 BC. when they were first organized.  

Solon used to award with a 100 drachmas prize every Athenian Isthmian champion!!    

They were organized every two years, in the middle of the summer, and were kept until the time of the Roman Empire. Every two years coincided with the Olympic Games. 

Isthmia were the second most important athletic competitions not only in Greece but also throughout the ancient world!!!

The struggles took place in the city of Corinth until 146 BC, when Corinth was destroyed and the operation passed into the hands of Sikyon - the famous Sikyonia- until Corinth was rebuilt. The site was the holy pine forest in the Isthmus of Corinth.    

In the picture above, you see an airview of the start of the ancient stadium, which is situated at the end of Kyra Vrysi village. Comes down to Isthmia and then finishes at the other side of the Corinth Canal today, at Kalamaki village! It was the biggest stadium of the world!

There were the temple of Poseidon and the racing racetrack, the stadium, the theater and a gym, called "Kranio". They included gymnastics, street, wrestling, boxing, pankration and pentathlon. Later the program was expanded to include horse racing and chariot races.   

Due to its topical geographical location, Isthmia was the place for conferences and conferences:  

•  -481 and 480 BC for the Persians.
• -337 BC Philip II is proclaimed Chief of Staff of the Greeks. 
• -336 BC Alexander the Great is proclaimed Chief of Staff of all Greeks.
• -302 BC Demetrios Poliorcetes is proclaimed the ruler of Greece. 
• - 196 BC the Roman ruler Titus Coedus Flamininos proclaims during the Isthmus struggles the self-governed and free of the Corinthians, Fokion, Lokros, Euboea, Magnesia of Thessalians, Perivians, while Korinthia becomes the seat of the Achaic Confederacy.   

On the beach of Kryfis we see remnants of a Mycenaean wall (about 1200 BC).   

Bellow is the beautiful church of Agios Nikolaos, the protector of the Navy, bu the Isthmus Canal!!!

Major stations in modern history are: 

1. -The construction of the Piraeus-Athens-Corinth railway line (1-4-1885), with a station in  Kalamaki 
2. -The opening and operation of the Corinth Canal (1882-1893).    

Talking about the Corinth Canal, this is one of my next posts  😉 !!!

Touristic Magnet

This is the beach I used to go for swimming when I was a child! 

A beautiful sandy beach and much less people than today, that is a touristic attraction and people from Athens and all around come to spend their summers here!!!     

Beautiful resorts can be found here, like the one on the picture above called "King Saron" that is one of my favourite destinations! It is near by the Loutra of Belle Helene, the place where The Helene of Troy had her baths!!

I would leave home, go jogging cross the hotel and then towards the Loutra of Belle Helene, swim and back!

Here I have to say that Isthmia is a place of Amazing beauty and you can visit all year round!!!

In the picture below, you can see behind me a house of the compound, made for the Architects and Engineers building the Corinth Canal back in the late 19th Century, that I will tell you, as I said in post coming  😉 ❤  !

Coming to a closure of my post, I would like to say that this place is really close to my heart since I have special memories with my beloved grandmother Penelope!! 

She is the one that taught me everything in life, from which herbs are right to collect and what they are good for, to the most important ones. The values and principles one must acquire!

So this is part of my homage to her ❤  ❤  ❤  ❤   ❤  ❤!!! 

Until next time, stay tuned and keep smiling Steem people  ❤ ❤ ❤ !!! 

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Sources: 

https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%8A%CF%83%CE%B8%CE%BC%CE%B9%CE%B1

http://www.protothema.gr/travelling/article/465658/isthmia-anakalupste-enan-pragmatiko-thisauro/