146 BC

146 BC was a year of significant events in the ancient world, particularly marking a turning point in the history of the Roman Republic. It is most notably recognized as the year of the destruction of two major cities: Carthage and Corinth.

• Destruction of Carthage: After the Third Punic War, Rome decisively defeated Carthage, its long-time rival. The city was razed to the ground, its inhabitants killed or enslaved, and its territory annexed by Rome. This victory cemented Rome's dominance in the Mediterranean and marked the end of Carthaginian power. Salt was rumored to have been sown into the land, although modern historians debate the veracity of this claim.

• Destruction of Corinth: In the same year, 146 BC, the Roman army also destroyed Corinth. This action followed the Achaean War, in which the Achaean League, a confederation of Greek city-states, rebelled against Roman authority. The destruction of Corinth served as a stark warning to other Greek cities and further solidified Roman control over Greece. Many of the city's treasures were looted and sent back to Rome.

These two events in 146 BC represent a period of Roman expansion and increasing power, but also a display of brutality and the subjugation of other cultures. The destruction of Carthage and Corinth had lasting consequences for the geopolitical landscape of the ancient world and the future of the Roman Republic.