The consul Mummius, having succeeded Metellus in the command of the
Roman troops, prosecuted the war against the Achæans with much vigour,
and in order to subdue them by one great effort, he laid siege to
Corinth. This city, in addition to its advantageous situation and its
natural strength, was defended by a numerous garrison, composed of
experienced and determined soldiers. These troops, perceiving that a
corps-de-garde was negligently kept, made a sudden sortie, attacked
it vigorously, killed a great many, and pursued the rest to their
camp. This trifling success singularly inflamed the courage of these
warriors, but it became fatal to them; for Dicæus, their leader,
having rashly given battle to the Romans, who feigned to dread his
forces, fell into an ambush laid by the consul, was beaten, took to
flight, and lost the greater part of his men. After this rout, the
inhabitants lost all hopes of defending themselves. Without counsel,
without a leader, without courage, without concert, no citizen put
himself forward to rally the wrecks of the defeat, to make a show of
resistance, and oblige the conqueror, who wished to terminate the war
quickly, to grant them tolerable conditions. All the Achæans, and most
of the Corinthians, abandoned, during the night, their unfortunate
country, and sought refuge in other lands. Mummius entered the city
without resistance, and gave it up to pillage. The furious and greedy
soldiery immolated all who stood in the way of the sword, and bore
away everything that could feed their avarice. Women and children were
sold by auction, like flocks of sheep. Statues, pictures, valuable
furniture, all the superb ornaments of this opulent city, were sent
to adorn the proud capital of the universe. The towers and walls were
levelled with the ground; all the houses were set fire to, and during
several days the whole city was nothing but one vast conflagration. It
is pretended, but perhaps without foundation, that the gold, silver,
and brass melted together in this fire, formed a new and precious
metal, whose name became proverbial as Corinthian brass. It was in
obedience to his masters, and not for his private interest, that the
conqueror acted in this manner. Mummius was as disinterested a man
as he was a great captain. To his virtues he joined that warlike
simplicity so common among the Romans of his time, who made it their
glory to be ignorant of the arts of refinement, or indeed of anything
which did not relate to the great arts of defending their country or
fighting to promote its glory. He employed trustworthy persons to
transport several pictures and statues of the most excellent masters to
Rome. Had they been lost or injured, nothing could have replaced them;
and yet the consul, whilst recommending care to be taken of them, said
very seriously that if these things were damaged, others must be found
in their place, and at the expense of those who undertook to convey
them!
The Achæan league was buried under the ruins of Corinth; and Rome,
always inexorable towards obstinate courage, which preferred dangerous
liberty to tranquil servitude, reduced the whole of Achaia to a
province.