How The Ancient Greeks Transported 20 Ton War Ships Over Dry Land
The Diolkos of Corinth: the ancient Panama Canal without the water
I remember having a conversation with a friend once about the ruins of a massive stone structure. He visited them on a trip to South America. The size of the stones and method of their assembly had him nearly convinced aliens built the ruins. After all, how could primitive people build something like this?
Well, we need to adjust our impression of “primitive people.” All human beings are inventive, finding solutions to problems over time.
For instance, the ancient Greeks had a method of transporting war ships weighing anywhere from twenty to twenty-five tons up-hill, over a landmass about four miles wide. According to Mark Cartwright at the World History Encyclopedia, these “triremes” could hold about two-hundred sailors.
It makes you wonder how these “primitive people” pulled off something so difficult? Well, they used a diolkos. The root “dia” means “across” and “holkos” translates to “portage machine.” It was a paved road to the sea where heavy cargo and ships could be guided across land.
The city-state of Corinth happened to have a famous one of these, (created around the sixth or seventh century BC) which was mentioned…
