Lechaion Road

Lechaion Road. . English Text:, Propylaie on the Lechaion Road , The Propylaia, the main entrance to the Forum, consisted of three archways; one main and two smaller ones. At the time of Pausanias the gilded bronze chariots of Helios and Phaethon stood on this imposing building. The Propylaia dates from the 1st century A.D., The Lechaion Road , The main north-south artery (cardo maximus) of the Roman city, ultimately linked the Agora of Corinth with the harbour of Lechaion on the Corinthian gulf 3 kilometers to the north. In the time of Augustus, it was unpaved and was open to wheeled traffic. The road was paved with limestone slabs under Vespasian, when traffic was confined to pedestrians. At this period there were narrow pavements either side of the road with gutters to carry away rainwater. A row of shops was created on the east and west sides of the road, and colonnades and bases for dedications were set between the shops and the pavements. The road began to lose its importance from the 10th century A.D. onwards and was finally abandoned after the earthquake of 1858., Monuments to the West of the Lechaion Road , Today a row of sixteen small shops can clearly be made out the west side of the road. To the west of these shops, the most important building was the large Roman basilica (1st-2nd century A.D.), which was probably caused used as a courthouse. Its facade, facing the main area of the Forum, was adorned with colossal figures of Phrygian Phrygian prisoners-of-war (late 2nd - early 3rd century A.D.) To the north of the basilica the remains of a commercial market are preserved. Later this was replaced by a new semicircular market with an Ionic colonnade., Monuments to the East of the Lechaion Road , To the east of the Lechaion Road, north of the Peirene Fountain, are preserved the foundations of Temple A (Classical period), which was converted in a second building phase into a heroon (Hellenistic period). To the east of this structure lies the so-called Periboios of Apollo (1st century A.D.). This was an open courtyard surrounded by a marble Ionic colonnade, which was used as a commercial market. At the north-east end of the street are preserved the ruins of a large bathhouse dating from the 2nd century A.D. This bath has been identified as the Baths of the Spartan Eurycles seen by the travel-writer Pausanias.