ht have had some warrant for it. But the fanatics who stirred the
country to revolt against the advice of its wisest citizens proved
incapable in war. Their army was finally put to rout in the year 146
B.C. by a Roman army under the leadership of Lucius Mummius, consul of
Rome.

This Roman victory was won in the vicinity of Corinth. The routed army
did not seek to defend itself in that city, but fled past its open
gates, and left it to the mercy of the Roman general. The gates still
stood open. No defence was made. But Mummius, fearing some trick, waited
a day or two before entering. On doing so he found the city nearly
deserted. The bulk of the population had fled. The greatest and richest
city which Greece then possessed had fallen without a blow struck in its
defence.

Yet Mummius chose to consider it as a city taken by storm. All the men
who remained were put to the sword; the women and children were kept to
be sold as slaves; the town was mercilessly plundered of its wealth and
treasures of art.

But this degree of vengeance did not satisfy Rome. Her ambassadors had
been insulted,--by a mob, it is true; but in those days the law-abiding
had often to suffer for the deeds of the mob. The Achaean League, with
Corinth at its head, had dared to resist the might and majesty of Rome.
A lesson must be given that would not be easily forgotten. Corinth must
be utterly destroyed.

Such was the deliberate decision of the Roman senate; such the order
sent to Mummius. At his command the plundering of the city was
completed. It was fabulously rich in works of art. Many of these were
sent to Rome. Many of them were destroyed. The Romans were ignorant of
their value. Their leader himself was as incompetent and ignorant as any
Roman general could well be. He had but one thought, to obey the orders
of the senate. The plundered city was thereupon set on fire and burned
to the ground, its walls were pulled down, the spot where it had stood
was cursed, its territory was declared the property of the Roman people.
No more complete destruction of a city had ever taken place. A century
afterwards Corinth was rebuilt by order of Julius Caesar, but it never
became again the Corinth of old.

As for the destruction of works of priceless value, it was pitiable.
When Polybius returned and saw the ruins, he found common soldiers
playing dice on paintings of the most celebrated artists of Greece.
Mummius, who was as honest as he was dull-witt