κορινθιάζεσθαι—(i.e., to fornicate) was coined as an infamous sign of the wealth and immorality for which the city was renowned in the ancient world. But Aristophanes (ca. 450–385 B.C.) may have invented the verb as part of Athenian disdain for the region in southern Greece during the Peloponnesian War, or else the term reflects the rivalry of Athens, whose trade was jeopardized by Corinth. Yet the term was widely popular. Plays such as Korinthiastēs (Κορινθιαστῄς, i.e., “The Harlot”) were written