If a modern visitor today could imagine the Isthmus of Corinth in its original, natural state before human purpose and modern technology sliced a canal through it, he would feel overwhelmed pondering over the excessive hassles an ancient seafarer had to put up with in order to transport his entire ship and precious cargo intact across land from shore to shore. To say the least, it must have been a spectacular feat to slide a ship on a masonry trail known by the name of - for which ("Corinth of the twin seas") was famous and esteemed highly in classical antiquity.

Anguish and anxiety were undoubtedly salient features of the Diolkos experience. Nonetheless, at a time when technology was in a state of infancy, man's creative mind invented this - all the same cumbersome -method to bypass a caprice of nature. Of course, seen otherwise, the narrow strip of land which connected Peloponnisos with the mainland to the north was an unmatched gift which Nature has bestowed on men. It was quite like a Pandora's Box - if man could only scale it to a measure which served his diverse needs. The Isthmus of Corinth was therefore, at the same time, a bliss and a curse of the gods.

Since early times, a number of spirited souls entertained thoughts of constructing a canal through the Isthmus -- in spite of the insurmountable technical problems such a feat posed. Nonetheless, the record of repeated attempts in this direction goes to show that human ingenuity and courage were just not good enough.