Μόμμιος δὲ Ὀρέστην ἅμα ἀγόμενος, τὸν πρότερον ἐπὶ τῇ Λακεδαιμονίων διαφορᾷ καὶ Ἀχαιῶν ἐλθόντα, ἀφίκετο μὲν περὶ ὄρθρον ἐς τὸ τῶν Ῥωμαίων στράτευμα, ἀποπέμψας δὲ ἐς Μακεδονίαν Μέτελλον καὶ ὅσον εἵπετο ἐκείνῳ, ἀνέμενεν αὐτὸς ἐν τῷ ἰσθμῷ τὴν πᾶσαν ἀθροισθῆναι παρασκευήν. ἀφίκετο δὲ ἱππικὸν μὲν πεντακόσιοί τε καὶ τρισχίλιοι, τοῦ πεζοῦ δὲ ἀριθμὸς ἐγένετο ἐς μυριάδας δύο προσόντων καὶ τούτοις τρισχιλίων· ἐπῆλθον δὲ καὶ τοξόται Κρῆτες καὶ ἐκ Περγάμου τῆς ὑπὲρ Καΐκου Φιλοποίμην στρατιώτας ἄγων παρὰ Ἀττάλου.
Μόμμιος μὲν δὴ τῶν τε ἐξ Ἰταλίας τινὰς καὶ τὰ ἐπικουρικὰ ἀπωτέρω δύο τε καὶ δέκα ἔταξε σταδίοις, πρὸ τοῦ παντὸς εἶναι στρατεύματος φυλακήν· Ἀχαιοὶ δέ, ἐχόντων ἀφυλακτότερον ὑπὸ φρονήματος τῶν Ῥωμαίων, ἐπιτίθενται ἐπὶ φυλακῆς αὐτοῖς τῆς πρώτης, καὶ τοὺς μὲν φονεύουσι, πλείονας δὲ ἔτι ἐς τὸ στρατόπεδον κατεῖρξαν, καὶ ἀσπίδας ὅσον τε πεντακοσίας εἷλον. ἀπὸ τούτου δὲ τοῦ ἔργου καὶ ἐπήρθησαν οἱ Ἀχαιοὶ ποιήσασθαι τὴν ἔξοδον πρότερον πρὶν ἢ Ῥωμαίους ἄρχειν μάχης·
ὡς δὲ ἀντεπῆγε καὶ ὁ Μόμμιος, οἱ μὲν ἐς τὸ ἱππικὸν τῶν Ἀχαιῶν ταχθέντες αὐτίκα ᾤχοντο φεύγοντες, τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἵππου μηδὲ τὴν πρώτην ἔφοδον ὑπομείναντες· ὁ δὲ πεζὸς στρατὸς ἀθύμως μὲν εἶχεν ἐπὶ τῶν ἱππέων τῇ τροπῇ, δεξάμενοι δὲ τὴν ἐμβολὴν τοῦ ὁπλιτικοῦ τοῦ Ῥωμαίων βιαζόμενοί τε τῷ πλήθει καὶ ἀπαγορεύοντες τοῖς τραύμασιν ὅμως ἀντεῖχον ὑπὸ τοῦ θυμοῦ, πρίν γε δὴ Ῥωμαίων λογάδες χίλιοι προσπεσόντες κατὰ τὰ πλάγια ἐς τελέαν τοὺς Ἀχαιοὺς φυγὴν κατέστησαν.
εἰ δὲ ἐτόλμησεν ἐσδραμεῖν μετὰ τὴν μάχην Δίαιος ἐς Κόρινθον καὶ ὑποδέξασθαι τῷ τείχει τοὺς διαπίπτοντας ἐκ τῆς φυγῆς, κἂν εὕρασθαί τι παρὰ Μομμίου οἱ Ἀχαιοὶ φιλάνθρωπον ἐδυνήθησαν, ἐς πολιορκίαν καὶ τριβὴν πολέμου καταστάντες· νῦν δὲ ἀρχομένων ἔτι ἐνδιδόναι τῶν Ἀχαιῶν εὐθὺ Μεγάλης πόλεως ἔφευγεν ὁ Δίαιος, οὐδέν τι γενόμενος ἐς Ἀχαιοὺς ὅμοιος ἢ καὶ Καλλίστρατος ὁ Ἐμπέδου πρὸς Ἀθηναίους.
τούτῳ γὰρ τῷ ἀνδρὶ ἱππαρχήσαντι ἐν Σικελίᾳ, ὅτε Ἀθηναῖοι καὶ ὅσοι ἄλλοι τοῦ στόλου μετεσχήκεσαν ἀπώλλυντο πρὸς τῷ ποταμῷ τῷ Ἀσινάρῳ, τούτῳ τότε τῷ Καλλιστράτῳ παρέστη τόλμα διεκπαῖσαι διὰ τῶν πολεμίων ἄγοντι τοὺς ἱππέας· ὡς δὲ τὸ πολὺ ἀπέσωσεν αὐτῶν ἐς Κατάνην, ἀνέστρεφεν ὀπίσω τὴν αὐτὴν αὖθις ὁδὸν ἐς Συρακούσας, διαρπάζοντας δὲ ἔτι εὑρὼν τὸ Ἀθηναίων στρατόπεδον καταβάλλει τε ὅσον πέντε ἐξ αὐτῶν, καὶ τραύματα ἐπίκαιρα αὐτὸς καὶ ὁ ἵππος λαβόντες ἀφιᾶσι τὴν ψυχήν.
οὗτος μὲν δὴ ἀγαθὴν δόξαν Ἀθηναίοις καὶ αὑτῷ κτώμενος περιεποίησέ τε ὧν ἦρχε καὶ ἐτελεύτησεν αὐτὸς ἑκουσίως· Δίαιος δὲ Ἀχαιοὺς ἀπολωλεκὼς Μεγαλοπολίταις κακῶν τῶν ἐφεστηκότων ἧκεν ἄγγελος, ἀποκτείνας δὲ αὐτοχειρὶ τὴν γυναῖκα, ἵνα δὴ μὴ γένοιτο αἰχμάλωτος, τελευτᾷ πιὼν φάρμακον, ἐοικυῖαν μὲν παρασχόμενος Μεναλκίδᾳ τὴν ἐς χρήματα πλεονεξίαν, ἐοικυῖαν δὲ καὶ τὴν ἐς τὸν θάνατον δειλίαν.
Ἀχαιῶν δὲ οἱ ἐς Κόρινθον ἀποσωθέντες μετὰ τὴν μάχην ἀπεδίδρασκον ὑπὸ νύκτα εὐθύς· ἀπεδίδρασκον δὲ καὶ αὐτῶν Κορινθίων οἱ πολλοί. Μόμμιος δὲ τὸ μὲν παραυτίκα, ἀναπεπταμένων ὅμως τῶν πυλῶν, ἐπεῖχεν ἐς τὴν Κόρινθον παρελθεῖν, ὑποκαθῆσθαί τινα ἐντὸς τοῦ τείχους ὑποπτεύων ἐνέδραν· τρίτῃ δὲ ἡμέρᾳ μετὰ τὴν μάχην ᾕρει τε κατὰ κράτος καὶ ἔκαιε Κόρινθον.
τῶν δὲ ἐγκαταληφθέντων τὸ μὲν πολὺ οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι φονεύουσι, γυναῖκας δὲ καὶ παῖδας ἀπέδοτο Μόμμιος· ἀπέδοτο δὲ καὶ οἰκέτας, ὅσοι τῶν ἐς ἐλευθερίαν ἀφεθέντων καὶ μαχεσαμένων μετὰ Ἀχαιῶν μὴ εὐθὺς ὑπὸ τοῦ πολέμου τὸ ἔργον ἐτεθνήκεσαν. ἀναθημάτων δὲ καὶ τοῦ ἄλλου κόσμου τὰ μὲν μάλιστα ἀνήκοντα ἐς θαῦμα ἀνήγετο, τὰ δὲ ἐκείνοις οὐχ ὁμοίου λόγου Φιλοποίμενι ὁ Μόμμιος τῷ παρʼ Ἀττάλου στρατηγῷ δίδωσι· καὶ ἦν Περγαμηνοῖς καὶ ἐς ἐμὲ ἔτι λάφυρα Κορίνθια.
πόλεων δέ, ὅσαι Ῥωμαίων ἐναντία ἐπολέμησαν, τείχη μὲν ὁ Μόμμιος κατέλυε καὶ ὅπλα ἀφῃρεῖτο πρὶν ἢ καὶ συμβούλους ἀποσταλῆναι παρὰ Ῥωμαίων· ὡς δὲ ἀφίκοντο οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ βουλευσόμενοι, ἐνταῦθα δημοκρατίας μὲν κατέπαυε, καθίστα δὲ ἀπὸ τιμημάτων τὰς ἀρχάς· καὶ φόρος τε ἐτάχθη τῇ Ἑλλάδι καὶ οἱ τὰ χρήματα ἔχοντες ἐκωλύοντο ἐν τῇ ὑπερορίᾳ κτᾶσθαι· συνέδριά τε κατὰ ἔθνος τὰ ἑκάστων, Ἀχαιῶν καὶ τὸ ἐν Φωκεῦσιν ἢ Βοιωτοῖς ἢ ἑτέρωθί που τῆς Ἑλλάδος, κατελέλυτο ὁμοίως πάντα.
ἔτεσι δὲ οὐ πολλοῖς ὕστερον ἐτράποντο ἐς ἔλεον Ῥωμαῖοι τῆς Ἑλλάδος, καὶ συνέδριά τε κατὰ ἔθνος ἀποδιδόασιν ἑκάστοις τὰ ἀρχαῖα καὶ τὸ ἐν τῇ ὑπερορίᾳ κτᾶσθαι, ἀφῆκαν δὲ καὶ ὅσοις ἐπιβεβλήκει Μόμμιος ζημίαν· Βοιωτούς τε γὰρ Ἡρακλεώταις καὶ Εὐβοεῦσι τάλαντα ἑκατὸν καὶ Ἀχαιοὺς Λακεδαιμονίοις διακόσια ἐκέλευσεν ἐκτῖσαι. τούτων μὲν δὴ ἄφεσιν παρὰ Ῥωμαίων εὕροντο Ἕλληνες, ἡγεμὼν δὲ ἔτι καὶ ἐς ἐμὲ ἀπεστέλλετο· καλοῦσι δὲ οὐχ Ἑλλάδος, ἀλλὰ Ἀχαΐας ἡγεμόνα οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι, διότι ἐχειρώσαντο Ἕλληνας διʼ Ἀχαιῶν τότε τοῦ Ἑλληνικοῦ προεστηκότων. ὁ δὲ πόλεμος ἔσχεν οὗτος τέλος Ἀντιθέου μὲν Ἀθήνῃσιν ἄρχοντος, Ὀλυμπιάδι δὲ ἑξηκοστῇ πρὸς ταῖς ἑκατόν, ἣν ἐνίκα Διόδωρος Σικυώνιος.
In the early morning Mummius joined the Roman army. He was accompanied by Orestes, who had formerly come to settle the difference between the Lacedaemonians and Achaeans. On his arrival Mummius sent away Metellus and his troops to Macedonia, and remained himself at the Isthmus till his whole force should assemble. The cavalry mustered three thousand five hundred strong: the infantry amounted to twenty-three thousand. To these were added a corps of Cretan archers; and Attalus sent from Pergamus on the Caicus a contingent under the command of Philopoemen. An advance guard, consisting of the auxiliaries and some Italian troops, was posted by Mummius at a distance of twelve furlongs.
But the haughty Romans kept a careless lookout, the enemy surprised them in the first watch of the night, put some to the sword, and drove in the main body on the camp, capturing about five hundred shields. Flushed with their success in this skirmish, the Achaeans drew out in order of battle without waiting for the Romans to attack. But the moment Mummius advanced to meet them the Achaean horse took to flight, without standing even the first charge of the Roman cavalry. The foot, disheartened by the rout of the horse, nevertheless abided the onslaught of the Roman infantry, and though outnumbered and faint with wounds stood their ground bravely, till a thousand picked Roman troops fell on their flank. Then they broke and fled. Now if Diaeus had boldly thrown himself into Corinth after the battle and opened the gates to the fugitives, the Achaeans might have been able to get favourable terms from Mummius, who would have been reduced to the lingering operations of a siege.
But, instead of that, while his men were still wavering, he fled straight for Megalopolis. Very different from his behaviour towards the Achaeans was the behaviour of Callistratus, son of Empedus, towards the Athenians. Callistratus commanded a cavalry regiment in Sicily. When the Athenians with all their allies fell at the river Asinarus, he gallantly cut his way through the enemy at the head of his regiment. But as soon as he had brought most of his men safe to Catana, he wheeled about and rode back to Syracuse the way he came. There, finding the enemy still engaged in pillaging the Athenian camp, he cut down five of them, and then fell, horse and man together, covered with mortal wounds. Thus he shed lustre not only on himself, but on his country, by choosing to save his regiment and to die himself.
But Diaeus, after ruining the Achaeans, brought the evil tidings to the people of Megalopolis, and having put his wife to death with his own hand, to prevent her falling into the hands of the enemy, he drank poison and died. Thus the parallel which he presented to Menalcidas in the rapacity of his life, he now completed by the cowardice of his death.
At nightfall the fugitives from the battlefield who had escaped to Corinth fled from the city, and most of the population fled also. Though the gates stood open, Mummius hesitated at first to enter the city, for he suspected that an ambush might be lurking inside the walls. But on the second day after the battle he stormed the city and set it on fire. Most of the people found in it were massacred by the Romans, and Mummius sold the women and children. He sold also such of the liberated slaves as had fought in the ranks of the Achaeans, and had not met their death on the battlefield. The most admired monuments of piety and art he carried off; the less valuable he presented to Philopoemen, the general of Attalus, and in my time the spoils of Corinth were still to be seen at Pergamus. He also dismantled the walls of all the cities that had fought against the Romans, and he disarmed the inhabitants without waiting for assessors to be sent from Rome.
When they came he put down the democracies, and established the government on the base of a property qualification. Greece was assessed to pay tribute, and owners of property were forbidden to acquire property abroad : all national confederacies, whether Achaean, Phocian, Boeotian, or what not, were dissolved.
Not many years afterwards the Romans took pity on Greece, and restored the old national confederacies and the right of acquiring property abroad. They further remitted all the fines imposed by Mummius, who had ordered the Boeotians to pay a hundred talents to the Heracleots and Euboeans, and the Achaeans to pay two hundred talents to the Lacedaemonians. Of these burdens the Greeks were relieved by the Romans; but to this day a governor is still sent to Greece. The Romans call him the governor, not of Greece, but of Achaia, because the Achaeans were at the head of Greece at the time of the Roman conquest. The war ended in the archonship of Antitheus at Athens, in the hundred and sixtieth Olympiad, in which the prize was won by Diodorus of Sicyon.
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