The battle of Corinth took place in 146 B.C. in the Greek city of Corinth. The conflict involved two major parties, which consisted of Greeks and Romans. The given battle was a turning point in Greek history because the Roman Republic became the rulers of the Greek lands. The battle ended with the city being fully demolished, and Roman soldiers burned it to the ground. Corinthian women and children were captured and sold as slaves.
The war was initially catalyzed by Romans, who used the internal disturbances of Greece to their advantage. Before the battle, Sparta and Achaean League were in conflict, which weakened the overall attention of Greeks to outside threats. The Roman Republic declared that some Greek cities were no longer considered as a part of the Achaean League, which included Corinth, Sparta, and Argos. This decision was perceived with outrage from the Greek side because it meant that the Achaean League became a secondary state with no proper recognition. Despite the Roman Republic’s decision, the Achaean League decided to fight Sparta, which means that they were going against Romans too. This event led to the Battle of Corinth, where Romans came out victorious.
The battle was not an equal one, because Romans vastly outnumbered Greeks. The Roman Republic brought approximately 27 thousand soldiers, including cavalry, and whereas Greeks faced them with an army of 15 thousand. This meant that the Roman army was almost twice as large as the Greek one. In addition, the Greek side was mostly comprised of former slaves and ordinary people, who lacked prior training and experience. However, Roman soldiers were more conditioned due to the republic’s military developments. Therefore, it is evident that the outcome of the battle was predetermined by the fact that Romans had the overall advantage on their side.