Summary

The destruction of Carthage by Rome in 146 BCE was particularly gruesome and the sack of Corinth a few months later was nearly as devastating. Ever since, it has been debated why the Romans took such brutal measures against these opponents. Regardless, the events of that year were a turning point that marked the acme of Roman military success, the beginning of the collapse of the Republic, and the start of a century of civil wars, mass murders, and assassinations that ultimately led to autocratic rule.

The years between 146 BCE and the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BCE were a high point of Roman literature, art, and culture. However, many commentators at the time focused instead on the progressive political and moral decline. Increasingly, Romans began in-fighting and violence became a political tool. Beard then writes about the key events that contributed to...