28 August 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Ancient Greeks Built a Road to Haul Cargo Overland: The Father of the Railway: Diolkos

The Diolkos, an ambitious road that crossed the entire Isthmus of Corinth and was partially paved with stone, was built by the ancient Greeks as early as 600 B.C.

At that time, ships traveling between the Ionian and the Aegean had to circumnavigate the Peloponnese, an often dangerous and stormy route of roughly 212 miles (340 km). The solution was to build the diolkos, a stone-paved road between the port on the Gulf of Corinth (Ionian Sea) and the port on the Saronic Gulf (Aegean Sea).

Although the archaeological evidence is sketchy, it appears that from one port to the other, boats or cargo (or both) were loaded onto wheeled devices and dragged across the isthmus. One section of the road featured purposefully grooved tracks—considered among the earliest known railways in recorded history.

The Diolkos was “the first systematic attempt to facilitate the portage of merchandise and warships from the Saronic to the Corinthian Gulf and vice versa,” says Dr. Georgios Spyropoulos, assistant director of the Corinthian Ephorate of Antiquities.

One of the greatest technological achievements of antiquity, the ancient pathway ran roughly parallel to the current Corinth Canal. Amazingly, remnants of the pathway can still be clearly seen in a few locations around Corinth, primarily on the School of Engineering’s property.

Long Section of the Diolkos located on a Greek Army Base north of the Corinthian Canal
Long Section of the Diolkos located on a Greek Army Base north of the Corinthian Canal

There was a stone ramp where ships heading east would arrive at the northwest end of the Diolkos, where Poseidonia now stands in Corinth. Slaves then used enormous ropes to pull them up the ramps.

The men then dragged them up onto a sturdy wooden frame that stood atop the ramp. To make the ships as light as possible, their masts and other movables were removed once they touched down on dry land. Then, using enormous winches driven by multiple men, the enormous vessels were turned on a ninety-degree angle to align them with the Diolkos. Next, they would be pulled up another stone ramp to get them atop an iron undercarriage.

These enormous wheels, which resembled the undercarriages of a freight train today, ran the length of both sides and would carry the vessels to the opposite end of the Diolkos. Moving such massive vessels overland in this manner is a feat of engineering and brute strength, even though the road’s gradient only increased by about three percent.

Corinth Canal in Greece
Corinth Canal in Greece

Human strength and advanced technological know-how enabled the Diolkos to operate for many centuries, evoking memories of the slaves hauling and shifting the enormous blocks that made up the Pyramids in ancient Egypt. These devices were in operation for many centuries. The stones’ deep grooves guaranteed that the undercarriage and its priceless load would remain securely on course until they reached the other side of the isthmus.

Various ancient rulers, including Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great, considered digging a canal across the Isthmus of Corinth. In A.D. 67, the Roman Emperor Nero attempted to build a canal between Corinth’s ports using thousands of slaves, but the project was soon abandoned.

In the 1800s, the Greek government decided to sponsor theconstruction of the Corinth Canal. It was started in 1889 and completed in 1893, fulfilling a dream more than 2,000 years old.

The canal is between 69 feet (21 m) and 82 feet (25 m) wide, cutting through limestone. Although the canal lacks locks, boats can be controlled by raising and lowering submersible bridges at either end of the waterway. The Peloponnese, which is now officially an island, is connected to the rest of Greece by a highway bridge that spans the top of the canal.

Unfortunately, the Corinth Canal proved difficult to use for several reasons. The precarious cliff walls were prone to erosion and landslides that obstructed passage, and it was too narrow for contemporary ships. In the waterway, strong tides made sailing challenging as well. The canal is now primarily used by small pleasure crafts and tourist cruise boats.

Cover Photo: Ancient Diolkos stone road allowed ships to go from Ionian to Aegean. Twitter/The Wrath of Gnon

Related Articles

Excavations in Haldensleben, Germany Reveal A Lost Settlement

9 November 2024

9 November 2024

Excavations at Haldensleben in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt provide important information about a lost settlement. Since May 2024, the...

3,500-Year-Old Opal Workshop and Rare Lithophones Unearthed in Vietnam

17 August 2025

17 August 2025

Archaeologists in Vietnam’s Gia Lai province have uncovered a remarkable prehistoric site dating back more than 3,500 years. Excavations at...

The Life of the Maya Ambassador Found in El Palmar was not Easy

18 March 2021

18 March 2021

El Palmar is a small plaza compound in Mexico near the borders of Belize and Guatemala. Archaeologists Kenichiro Tsukamoto and...

Archaeologists discover a new megalithic monument in heart of Andalusia in southern Spain – 5,000-year-old secret

5 May 2023

5 May 2023

Archaeologists in Spain uncovered a previously overlooked tomb while investigating the formation of La Peña de los Enamorados, also known...

Unprecedented necropolis site found in Cappadocia, one of Türkiye’s most important tourism centers

8 July 2024

8 July 2024

In Cappadocia, located in the Central Anatolia Region of Türkiye, known for its unique moon-like landscape, underground cities, cave churches,...

Bronze age settlement found under in Swiss lake

23 April 2021

23 April 2021

For the first time, archaeologists discovered traces of a Bronze Age lakeside village beneath the surface of Lake Lucerne. The...

Who really fought in the Battle of Himera? Researchers found the answer to the question

14 May 2021

14 May 2021

According to the Ancient Greek Historians, victory over the Carthaginians in the Battle of Himera was won by the alliance...

An inscription with the name of the ancient city was found at the excavation site in Gordion, the capital of the Phrygians

8 August 2022

8 August 2022

An inscription bearing the name of the ancient city was found at the excavation site in Gordion, the capital of...

Stone-arched tunnel discovered near Achaemenid dam in southern Iran

4 February 2022

4 February 2022

A cultural heritage protection team has recently discovered a stone-arched tunnel located near an Achaemenid embankment dam in southern Iran....

Medieval Masterpiece: Rare Jesus Christ Relief from Ani Ruins Unveiled After 130 Years

14 August 2025

14 August 2025

A significant archaeological artifact depicting Jesus Christ has been put on public display for the first time at the Kars...

Archaeologists find the largest bronze beast of Sanxingdui ruins

4 September 2022

4 September 2022

The largest and only one of its kind discovered in China to date, the bronze beast was discovered by archaeologists...

“Important discovery” showing that the Hittite city of Büklükale close ties with the Hurrian society

21 October 2022

21 October 2022

According to Japanese archaeologists, an ancient clay tablet discovered at the Büklükale ruins in central Turkey suggests that a little-known...

Archaeologists Unearth Roman Archive of Ancient City of Doliche

20 November 2023

20 November 2023

Archaeologists from the Asia Minor Research Center at the University of Münster have uncovered the municipal archive in the ancient...

Refurbishment at the Uffizi Gallery Revealed a Pair of Priceless Lost Renaissance Frescoes

24 April 2021

24 April 2021

A couple of construction workers discovered two Renaissance-era treasures while working on an extensive renovation project at Florence’s world-famous Uffizi...

Farmer Found Sarcophagus of Hellenistic Period in his Field

9 April 2021

9 April 2021

The citizen named E. G. in Akçakoca, Taşkuyucak District of Gölmarmara district of Manisa (Turkey), while plowing his field, thought...