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Diolkos

Diolkos {diolkos} was one of the most important projects of ancient Greek engineering. It is about a stone paved road, 6.3km long, with grooves through which, for about 1500 years, were towing ships in order to cross Corinth isthmus that separates Corinth gulf from Saronicos gulf. At the ends of Diolkos there were two major ancient harbors that of Kenchreai (Saronicos gulf)  and Lechaion (Corinth gulf). Through the operation of Diolkos ships were avoiding the circumnavigation of the Peloponnese thus reducing their journey, but mostly bypassing the hazards faced by the Cape Maleas.
The construction of Diolkos was the result of several failed attempts open a channel, which would connect the two bays but such a huge project naturally could not finish ever, due to the limited construction capabilities of those years.
The Diolkos built on tyranny Periandros (the 6th century BC), had a width of 3 to 5m in the middle of which there were two grooves as guides for the platforms caring the ships of the time. The grooves are called "Olkos" and their purpose was not to derail the platforms for ships, especially in turns, as the road was long and winding between hills. From these grooves took its name ie Diolkos = Dio (two)+Olkos (groove).
The above drawing, of the German researcher Walter Werner, shows the known path Diolkos.

Recently, an initiative of the Society for the Study of Ancient Greek Technology (EMAET) with the  support of Technical Chamber of Greece (T.C.G.) produced a short animation video, of about 20 minutes, in which the professor NTUA T. Tassios recounts, with the excellent way he speaks, the history and the process of moving ships through Diolkos. The video is in Greek and English and it is online (in 2 parts) or sold by the T.C.G. for a small fee. Filmmakers are TP Tassios, N. Mikas, G. Polyzos, who have received so far two awards: Best film referred to in ancient times in the 5th International Film Festival in Cyprus (November 2009) and Best Educational Film at the 8th International Meeting of Archaeological Film of the Mediterranean Area in Athens (May 2010).

The video (in 2 parts from youtube site):
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