IKorinte—Umuzi Onezilwandle Ezimbili

“ABANTU basendulo babekholelwa ukuthi onkulunkulu bangokoqobo. Nami ngesinye isikhathi ngicabanga kanjalo.” Washo kanjalo umqondisi wohambo lwethu njengoba ayesithubelezisa ezincithakalweni zamathempeli ake anikezelwa kuApollo. uAphrodite, uHermes. uHereules. noPoseidon. Izulu lalihlomile, futhi sezwa ukuduma kwezulu kuqalisa. “UZeus.” esho ngokumoyizela.

Ekuseni izulu lalibuyise amafu phezu kweNtaba iParnassus. Ayesakazeka ngokushesha phezu kwechibi laseKorinte anda phezu kwethu ebikezela okuzayo. Kodwa umqondisi wohambo lwethu wayelokhu emoyizela futhi waqhubeka elanda imidanti yezindaba zakudala, ubukhazikhazi baseGrisi, kanye nokufika kobuKristu. Waxuba ngenjabulo iqiniso, umbono ocatshangelwayo, umlando kanye nezinganekwane ukuze akhe izakhiwo esweni lethu lengqondo futhi azenze ziphile ngenyama negazi kwenye inkathi yesikhathi.

Sasingakhathazekile ngemvula. Kuthukela line ePeloponnisos. Phela, lenhlonhlo eseningimu ingenye yezindawo ezome kakhulu eGrisi! lAthens kuphela eyome kakhulu kunayo. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, noma nini lapho kwenzeka kufika izimvula, ziba izimvula ezinkulu. Ziba izikhukhula eziwulukuhlelayo ezikhukhula izindawo eziphakeme futhi zenze indawo ephansi kwethafa laseKorinte inothe ngesihlabathi esikhululiwe.

Kuyamangalisa! Phakathi kwazo zonke izinto iKorinte edume ngazo, sasingalindele neze ukuba enye yazo ibe umkhiqizo olinywayo. Yebo. kungakhathaliseki ukuthi alinywa eLevant, eCalifornia, noma kunoma iyiphi enye indawo, noma kuphi lapho amagilebhisi amancane omisiwe esiwabiza ngokuthi amacurrant edliwa ngenjabulo khona, anegama laseKorinte kuwo elishintshiwe kwathiwa “amacurrant.”

Imikhiqizo Yayo

Kungenzeka ukuthi inhlabathi ingesinye isizathu sembangela yamazwi kaHomer athi “iKorinte ecebile.” Nokho, iKorinte yathola eningi yengcebo yayo njengedolobha letheku elikhonza kokubili ulwandle i-Ionian nolwandle iAegean. UHorace wayibiza ngokuihi i“bimarisve Corinthi,” noma “iKorinte enezilwandle ezimbili.” Kwakungenzeka kanjani ukuba umuzi owodwa ube itheku lezilwandle ezimbili? Kwakulula, njengoba wawungasemaphethelweni angaseningizimu nomseswana wezwe (isth·mosʹ ngesiGreki) elixhuma iPeloponnisos nezwekazi laseGrisi.

IKorinte yayizuza esikhumulweni sezindiza ezisuka empumalanga ziya entshonalanga kanye nasezinteleni ezibizwa ngezimpahla nemikhumbi emincane kunqamule okuthunyelwa kwamanye amazwe ezweni elincane elingumxhumanisi elingasendleleni yemikhumbi ngesiGreki elibizwa ngokuthi idiʹol·kos. Yayibiza futhi izintela ngezimpahla eziya kwamanye amazwe ziya enyakatho naseningiziniu. Akumangalisi ukuthi uPhilip II. uyise ka-Alexander Omkhulu, wabheka iKorinte njengebalulekile ebukhosini bakhe obabusafufusa.

Ukulahlekelwa Nokuzuza

Kodwa lokho kwenzeka emakhulwini eminyaka edlule. Namuhla, kunomsele oxhuma ichibi laseKorinte nelaseSaronic. futhi emigwaqweni emikhulu amaloli adlula ngokushwibeka esigodini esozelayo saseKorinte. Amatilosi, abashayeli bamaloli, kanye nezakhamuzi zomuzi abanandaba nokuthi iKorinte yayiwumbukwane okhangayo waseMedithera. Abavubukuli kuphela kanye nezivakashi ezibuka indawo abezayo bephethe amahalavu amancane, okokuthatha izithombe, nesifiso sokufuna ukwazi.

Ngo-146 B.C.E: inxusa lamaRoma uMummius lachitha futhi lacishe lenza iKorinte yangahlalwa muntu. Nokho. ngemva kwekhulu leminyaka lokungenzi lutho, yavuselelwa uJulius Caesar njengendawo ephethwe kwelinye izwe enezizwe zonke zamaRoma eyayithanda izindlela nokucabanga kwamaGreki.

Lapho umphostoli uPawulu ongumKristu efika cishe eminyakeni eyikhulu kamuva, iKorinte futhi yase iwumuzi oqhakazile, ochumayo. Abantu balo babakha emini, benza imisebenzi yobuchwepheshe, futhi behwebelana ngokuphumelelayo. Futhi ebusuku babenzani? Babenza amadili futhi bazitike ngotshwala emathempelini nasezinkantini futhi behla benyuka emigwaqweni emnyama befuna izinjabulo zenyama. Ngokuthakazelisayo, nakuba iKorinte yayinedumela elibi enkathini yokuziphatha okubi ngokobulili futhi wonke umuntu wayazi ukuthi “intombazane yaseKorinte” yayiyini, ubufebe obungokwenkolo babungewona umkhuba wamaGreki. Indaba evame ukuxoxwa yokuthi iKorinte yayigcine amantombazane ayinkulungwane ayenikezelwe kuAphrodite yencike embonweni ongabazekayo wesazi somumo wezwe uStrabo wekhulu lokuqala leminyaka B.C.E. Ngisho nakulokho, uthi ayengawenkathi ekude engaphambi kweyamaRoma.

Inkumbulo Yethu

Njengoba sasihamba sigudla iLechaeum Way, umgwaqo omkhulu wasendulo owawuxhuma isikhumulo semikhumbi esingasentshonalanga nesikhungo somuzi, umqondisi wohambo lwethu wakhomba izinsalela zezakhiwo zombuso, amathempeli, izitolo, imakethe yenyama, kanye nendlu yangasese yomphakathi, konke okwakuxhotshelaniswe ndawonye ngokungahleleki.a Nokho, ngenxa yokungahlelwa kahle kwezakhiwo zomuzi, saqala ukuba nomuzwa wesimo esingokoqobo sokwakwenzeka kulomgwaqo okumelwe ukuba uPawulu wahlangana nakho−izixuku eziphithizelayo nabantu abakhuluma izinkulumo eziyize, abaninizitolo, izigqila, kanye nabahwebi.

Njengoba sasisondela ngasekupheleni komgwaqo, sezwa ukugobhoza kweMpophoma yasePirene, umthombo ongaphansi owawunika izitolo ezidayisa izinto ezisheshe zonakale amanzi abandayo, izingcweti zomsebenzi amanzi okugeza, futhi ekugcineni namanzi okudlulisa indle ezindlini zangasese. Ukuthi isitolo sokwakha amatende sombhangqwana oshadile ongamaKristu uAkwila noPrisila sasikulendawo noma cha. akekho owaziyo namuhla. (IzEnzo 18:1-3) Kodwa amamitha ambalwa ukusuka lapha, ezitebhisini eziholela eNkundleni, abavubukuli bathola ikhothamo lomnyango wesinagoge. Ngakho kungenzeka ukuthi lena kwakuyindawo yamaJuda, futhi sajabula ukukwazi ukuba nombono wokuthi indlu kaThithiyu Justu kungenzeka yayikhona khona lapha!—IzEnzo 18:7.

INkundla—yeka ukuthi yayiyindawo ehlaba umxhwele kanjani! Inezindawo ezimbili ezisazitebhisi eziyisikwele ingasempumalanga esentshonalanga. Maphakathi nesitebhisi esingenhla, kunezitolo nhlangothi zombili, kunendawo yesikhulumi ephakeme ebizwa ngokuthi ibema, eyayisetshenziswa izikhulumi emibuthanweni ehleliwe. Umqondisi wohambo lwethu wasikhumbuza ukuthi lapho udokotela uLuka ebhala ngosuku uPawulu ayesenkundleni yamacala ngalo phambi kukaGaliyu. igama lesiGreki elasetshenziselwa ‘isihlalo sokwahlulela’ kwakungelithi bema. (IzEnzo 18:12) Ngakho izenzakalo zezEnzo 18:12-27 kungenzeka zenzeka kuyo kanye lendawo! Sasimi lapho uPawulu ayeyoma khona, elungele ukuzivikela kuyilapho ekakwe abamangaleli bakhe abangamaJuda. Kodwa akwenzekanga! UGaliyu akazange avume ukuliqula icala. Wakhulula uPawulu futhi wavumela isixuku esinobudlova ukuba sishaye uSostene esikhundleni sakhe.

Ngemuva kwalenkundla yokuqula amacala evulekile, ngasechosheni elingasenyakatho yesitebhisi esingaphansi, ‘kunomthombo ongcwele’ kanye nendawo yawo yokwembula izimfihlo. Kunemibono ehlukahlukene ingokuthi lendawo yokukhulekela yaba khona kanjani. Nokho. ingokusobala uma ocelayo ayekhokha

imali eyanele, abapristi babenza isimangaliso futhi baguqule amanzi omthombo abe iwayini. Kucatshangelwa ukuthi lokho kwakuqinisekisa lowo ofuna usizo ukuthi sekuseduze athole ukukhanyiselwa ngamandla angaphezu kwawemvelo. Abavubukuli bathi lendawo yokukhulekela yasetshenziswa isikhathi eside, kokubili eKorinte lamandulo langaphambi kobuKristu kanye nasemzini owakhiwa kabusha wosuku lukaPawulu. Lapho silunguza emhubheni ongcwele oyimfihlo, sabona umshini wokwenza ubuqili bewayini futhi saphuma siqiniseka ukuthi amaqhinga enkolo awaqali manje.

Nakuba uPoseidon kucatshangelwa ukuthi wayengunkulunkulu owumvikeli waseKorinte, isakhiwo esihle ngokukhethekile ithempeli lika-Apollo elakhiwe ngendlela yamaDorian. Ezinsikeni zalo ezingu-38, kusele ezingu-7. Liphakeme ngamamitha acishe abe ngu 7,2 nobubanzi baphansi obungamamitha angu-1,7, ngayinye yenziwe ngetshe lelayimi elimise okomtshingo ngaphambili eyayifakwe istucco esiqinile, esimhlophe. Njengoba sihamba phezu komuzi ngento ehamba phezulu ephakathi nendawo—imfucumfucu emnyama eyandayo ephakathi kwemfucumfucu—nakuba kunjalo lelithempeli lakudala liyaqhubeka livusa imizwelo ejulile. Lokhu kungase kukhumbuze umuntu obukayo lokho uGoethe akubhala—ukuthi ukuklama nokwakha izindlu ‘kuwumculo ongenakushintsha.’

Kwafika Izimvula!

“Wozani. Kusenokuningi kokubona!” qabha, qabha “Asikawabuki amathempeli kanye namakhishi nezindawo zokudlela zikanokusho.” “Kufanele sibone itshe lendawo yabahamba ngezinyawo elabekwa uErastus.” Amathonsi abanzi. “Ngiyazi anifuni ukuphuthelwa inkantini ka-Aesculapeum.” Yebo, ukuqabhaza nokuthothoza kwamanzi kwakubikezela imvula enkulu.

Ngokushesha, abantu nezinto ezakhekhile ezingqondweni zethu kwashabalala. Sagijimela emuva ngendlela esize ngayo, umqondisi wohambo lwethu esasho izinto eziningi esasingakaziboni. Amathonsi emvula manje eyesemakhulu enza indawo yabahamba ngezinyawo yacwazimula, amanzisa imibala futhi asusa uthuli ematsheni emabuli ake aba awezakhiwo ezaziyiqholo. Lapho isibhakabhaka ngokungazelele sidedela imvula enkulu, sagijima. Sasimuzwa umqondisi wohambo lwethu phambili ememeza: “Wozani nonke!” Lapho selina umvimbi owenza kube lufifi, ngisho nezakhiwo ezimagebhugebhu ezingaseLachaeum Way yaseKorinte zanyamalala. Akukho okwasala, indawo elungisiwe engokoqobo neyiphupho. Simanzi nte, sagijima kakhulu silibangise ebhasini lethu futhi saba nethemba lokuthi umshayeli wayengayanga ukuyophuza ikhofi.—Inikelwe.

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Ibalazwe ekhasini 16]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

IKorinte

IGRISI

IONIAN SEA

AEGEAN SEA

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 17]

Phezulu: Isitolo esakhiwe kabusha eNkundleni

Phakathi nendawo: lbema

Phansi: iThempeli Lika-Apollo Elidala