Source of Information: This information is available in E-Sword under the International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia (ISBE). Simply select ISBE in the Dictionary window (if you have already downloaded it) and type Corinth in the space above the alphabet listings and it will bring up the information for you. I have edited it to cut out the stuff that is not so useful.
Corinth
A celebrated city of the Peloponnesus, capital of Corinthia, which lay North of Argolis, and with the Isthmus joined the peninsula to the mainland. Corinth had three good harbours (Lechaeum, on the Corinthian, and Cenchrea and Schoenus on the Saronic Gulf). This city commanded the traffic of both the eastern and the western seas. The larger ships could not be hauled across the isthmus (Act_27:6, Act_27:37); smaller vessels were taken over by means of a ship tramway with wooden rails. Various arts were cultivated and the Corinthians, even in the earliest times, were famous for their cleverness, inventiveness and artistic sense, and they prided themselves on surpassing the other Greeks in the embellishment of their city and in the adornment of their temples. There were many celebrated painters in Corinth, and the city became famous for the Corinthian order of architecture: which was held in high esteem by the Romans. It was here that the Isthmian games, held every two years, were celebrated just outside the city on the 1sthmus near the Saronic Gulf.
Corinth was the wealthiest and most important city in Greece. It was destroyed by Mummius in 146 bc, and the treasures of art carried to Rome were as great as those of Athens. Julius Caesar restored Corinth in 46 BC and it grew so rapidly that the Roman colony soon became again one of the most prominent centers in Greece. When Paul arrived in 51 CE, the Corinth he saw was little more than 100 years old, but was five times as large as Athens and the capital of the province. Ancient Corinth, the original Corinth, founded in the 10th Century BCE, had been the richest port and the largest city in ancient Greece. Paul found Corinth to be the metropolis of the Peloponnesus. Jews flocked to this centre of trade (Acts18:118; Rom_16:21; 1Co_9:20), the natural site for a great mart, and flourishing under the lavish hand of the Caesars; and this is one reason why Paul remained there so long (Act_18:11) instead of sojourning in the old seats of aristocracy, such as Argos, Sparta and Athens. He found a strong Jewish nucleus to begin with; and it was in direct communication with Ephesus. In the 2nd century Corinth had become the richest city in Greece. Its monuments and public buildings and art treasures are described in detail by Pausanias.
The church in Corinth consisted principally of non-Jews (1Cor_12:2). Paul had no intention at first of making the city a base of operations (Act_18:1; Act_16:9, Act_16:10); for he wished to return to Thessalonica (1Th_2:17,1Th_2:18). His plans were changed by a revelation (Act_18:9, Act_18:10). The Lord commanded him to speak boldly, and he did so, remaining in the city eighteen months. Finding strong opposition in the synagogue he left the Jews and went to the Gentiles (Act_18:6). Nevertheless, Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue and his household were believers and baptisms were numerous (Act_18:8); but no Corinthians were baptized by Paul himself except Crispus, Gaius and some of the household of Stephanas (1Cor_1:14, 1Cor_1:16) “the firstfruits of Achaia” (1Cor_16:15). One of these, Gaius, was Paul’s host the next time he visited the city (Rom_16:23). Silas and Timothy, who had been left at Berea, came on to Corinth about 45 days after Paul’s arrival. It was at this time that Paul wrote his first Epistle to the Thessalonians (1Th_3:6). During Gallio’s administration the Jews accused Paul, but the proconsul refused to allow the case to be brought to trial. This decision must have been looked upon with favor by a large majority of the Corinthians, who had a great dislike for the Jews (Act_18:17). Paul became acquainted also with Priscilla and Aquila (Act_18:18, Act_18:26; Rom_16:3; 2Ti_4:19), and later they accompanied him to Ephesus. Within a few years after Paul’s first visit to Corinth the Christians had increased so rapidly that they made quite a large congregation, but it was composed mainly of the lower classes: they were neither ‘learned, influential, nor of noble birth’ (1Cor_1:26).
Commentators usually assume that Corinth was an especially licentious city, a reputation it seems to have had in ancient times. Indeed, one of the Greek verbs for fornicate was korinthiazomaia word derived from the city’s name. Apparently this estimation was based on Strabo’s report of 1,000 sacred prostitutes in the temple of Aphrodite on the Acrocorinth, an 1886-foot hill that rises above the city to the south. Recent scholars point out, however, that the charge was more likely an Athenian slander against the pre-146 BCE city since sacred prostitution was a Middle East custom, not a Greek one. No doubt Corinth, like other large port cities, had plenty of prostitutes to service the sailors, but they were not sacred.
He who has never learned to obey cannot be a good commander.
Aristotle
Sometimes you have to go backwards before you can go forward, sometimes you have to go down before you go up.
Louie Giglio