Achaean War

The Achaean War was an uprising by the Greek Achaean den of the poor, free native-born and native-bred slaves,
League, an alliance of Achaean and other Peloponnesian and increase taxes on the rich, all of which, according
states in ancient Greece, against the Roman Republic to Polybius, had the desired eect of increasing support
around 146 BC, just after the Fourth Macedonian War. for a nationalistic dispute with Rome amongst the lower
Rome defeated the League swiftly, and as a lesson, they classes of Achaea. An uprising around this time by the
destroyed the ancient city of Corinth. The war ended with pretender Andriscus in the Fourth Macedonian War may
Greeces independence taken away, and Greece became also have spread to Achaea, giving hope that Rome, en-
the Roman provinces of Achaea and Epirus. gaged in the Third Punic War to the West, would be too
busy to deal with Greek rebellions against Roman rule.
Roman foreign policy in the Greek east in the period fol-
lowing the Third Macedonian War had also become in-
1 Background creasingly in favour of micromanagement and the forced
breaking-up of large entities, seen by the regionalisation
The Roman Republic had developed close ties to the of Macedon by the general Lucius Mummius Achaicus
Achaean League through similar religious and military and the Senates mission to the magistrate Gallus, upon
beliefs and a cooperation in the previous Macedonian the application of the town Pleuron to leave the Achaean
Wars. But despite co-operation in the latter part of the League, to sever as many cities from it as possible.[7]
third century and early second century, political prob- In 146, things reached a head when the former consul
lems in Achaea soon came to a head. Two factions began Lucius Aurelius Orestes was sent to Corinth to announce
to emerge - one, championed by the Achaean statesmen the forced reduction of the Achaean League to its origi-
Philopoemen and Lycortas, which called for Achaea to nal, narrow grouping - eectively crippling it and ending
determine its own foreign policy according to its own law, its territorial ambitions once and for all. A misguided ef-
and one, championed by gures like Aristaenus and Dio- fort at restoring peace, led by Orestes former co-consul
phanes, who believed in yielding to Rome on all matters Sextus Julius Caesar, went badly, and the Achaeans, out-
of foreign policy.[1] raged at Romes actions, and whipping up populist senti-
Achaea was, in addition, undergoing internal pressures ment, declared war on Rome.
beyond the question over the nature of the inuence of
Rome. The withdrawal of Messene from the Achaean
League[2] and further disputes with Sparta over the nature 2 War
of its position in the League led to growing amounts of
micromanagement by the Romans, including the sending The Achaeans were aware that they were entering a suici-
in 184 of a Roman, Appius Claudius, to judge the case dal war of deance, as Rome had just soundly conquered
between Sparta and Achaea.[3][4] Macedon, a much more powerful kingdom. The Romans
The taking of thousands of hostages by Rome in order won at Scarpheia, then conclusively outanked them at
to guarantee the compliance of Achaea during the Third the Battle of Corinth (146 BC). The Achaean league was
Macedonian War, which involved the deportation of the then disbanded, Corinth and Patras were destroyed as
historian Polybius to Rome, was the source of much punishment, and virtually all of mainland Greece became
diplomatic quarrel between Achaea and Rome, and it is annexed by Rome.
arguable that this contributed in large part to the souring
of relations between the two powers. No less than ve
embassies were sent by Achaea to Rome seeking the re- 3 References
turn of the hostages[5] and Roman intransigence demon-
strates the power dierence between the two. This diplo-
[1] P.S. Derow, Rome, the Fall of Macedon and the Sack of
matic stando was the beginning of the events leading to Corinth in Cambridge Ancient History vol. 8, 290-323
the Achaean War.
Achaean domestic politics at the time played a large part [2] Polybius 23
in the coming about of the war. Upon the election of [3] Livy 39.37
the populist[6] generals Critolaus and Diaeus, economic
proposals were made which would relieve the debt bur- [4] Polybius 23.17

1
2 3 REFERENCES

[5] E. Gruen, The Origins of the Achaean War, JHS 96

(1976): 46-69

[6] Polybius 38

[7] Pausanias 7.11

Wilson, N. G. Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece.

New York: Routledge, 2006. Print. Google Books.

Achaean League A Dictionary of World History.

Oxford University Press, 2000. Oxford Reference
Online. Oxford University Press. York University.
25 October 2011
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