146 BC — Destruction of Carthage and the Sack of Corinth

Major events

• Destruction of Carthage: After a protracted siege, Roman forces under Scipio Aemilianus captured and razed the city of Carthage. The territory became a Roman province typically referred to as Africa.
• Sack of Corinth: In Greece, Roman legions led by Lucius Mummius Achaicus defeated the Achaean League, sacking Corinth and carrying many artworks and treasures back to Rome. The action effectively ended organized Greek resistance to Roman intervention.

Political and administrative context

In Roman dating this was the Year of the Consulship of Lentulus and Achaicus and year 608 Ab urbe condita. The Romans recorded years by consulship names rather than by number; the calendar then in use is commonly called the pre-Julian Roman calendar. Together the military campaigns of 146 BC led to new provincial arrangements and to increased shipment of art and wealth to Rome.

Consequences and significance

The twin destructions consolidated Roman authority: North Africa became a base for grain and resources, while Greece, deprived of its principal city and league structures, lost political independence. Culturally, the removal of Greek and Punic treasures influenced Roman art and architecture, and the events have been remembered as harsh examples of Rome's republican expansionism.

Notes and legacy

Ancient historians such as Polybius and later Roman writers described these events with varying emphasis on military necessity and moral judgement. Modern scholars view 146 BC as a watershed: from this moment the Roman Republic acted as an imperial power with enduring administrative and cultural consequences across the Mediterranean world.