Lucius Mummius Achaicus

Praetorship and governorship of Hispania Ulterior

He served as praetor in 153 BC and was assigned to Hispania Ulterior, succeeding the praetor Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus who had been defeated with heavy losses in battle against the Lusitanians.^[6] There, he won some successes against the Lusitani and was prorogued pro consule into 152 BC. The conflict with the Lusitanians included a substantial amount of raiding. During Mummius' year in Hispania he destroyed the Lusitanian raiders in his province before embarking his men into Africa where he defeated them again, creating an opening for his successor to push into Lusitania proper.^[7]

Mummius returned to Rome in 151 BC, having been replaced in province by praetor Marcus Atilius, and celebrated a triumph.^[8] Even though he had triumphed, he was likely repulsed from the consulship one or twice before his success in the comitia of 147, possibly having made a deal with Scipio Aemilianus (at the time deployed in Africa fighting the Third Punic War) not to seek reassignment of Aemilianus' command.^[9]

Consulship and the Achaean War

Elected consul for 146 BC with Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus as his colleague, Mummius received the command of the Achaean War in succession of Metellus Macedonicus.^[10] The war had gone well for Rome even before Mummius took command, with Metellus having defeated the Achaeans under Critolaus at Scarpheia in Locris.^[11] With Metellus seeking to take credit for the Achaean victory, Mummius dashed to the army camp so he could take command. Arriving as Metellus was poised to assault the Isthmus of Corinth, he ordered him to return to Macedonia and took command of the army in central Greece.^[12] Although the Achaeans under Diaeus mobilised all the men they could (even freeing their slaves), they could not hold the isthmus and were routed. Corinth's population quickly fled the city.^[13]

Mummius descended upon Corinth and found the city undefended with its gates open. Following senatorial instructions, the Romans sacked the city.^[14] The senate dispatched the customary ten-man commission to settle affairs both in Achaea and Macedonia (which had fought the Fourth Macedonian War shortly earlier). Both regions were provincialised and consolidated under the rule of a Roman governor seated in Macedonia; the various Greek leagues were dissolved.^[15] The senatorial commission also brought instructions that Corinth be razed; pursuant to them, the city was destroyed. Whatever inhabitants remained in the city were sold into slavery and Corinthian territory was confiscated as Roman ager publicus.^[16] Those cities who had taken the Achaeans side were punished; among others, Thebes and Chalcis were forced to demolish their walls.^[17]

During his proconsulship and through his triumph, he generously donated the Corinthian booty – possibly to further his ambitions for the censorship and certainly to win good relations with Greek cities – giving at least seventeen different communities statues and art taken from Corinth.^[18] Among the recipients especially were Greek cities he stopped in during his proconsulship, some of which erected inscriptions commemorating his visit and the defeat of the Achaeans.^[19] Votives were also given at Delphi and Olympia.^[20] Staying in Achaea through 145 BC pro consule, he was awarded a second triumph on his return to Rome, this time over the Achaeans and the Corinthians.^[21] The bounty brought across the pomerium was enormous and he was allegedly the first to have Greek theatre performed at Rome: indeed, centuries later the authors Tacitus and Pliny attributed the start of serious philhellenism at Rome to Mummius' triumph.^[22][23] He also received the victory agnomen Achaicus, the first novus homo to receive one.^{[24][verification needed]}

Censorship

Elected to the censorship of 142 BC with Scipio Aemilianus as his colleague, Mummius spent lavishly from the proceeds of his Achaean campaign.^[25] A temple to Hercules, vowed for the victory, he also constructed from the proceeds;^[26] Mummius' temple was dedicated in 142 BC and is likely not the one that survives at Rome in the Forum Boarium but was instead located on the Caelian Hill.^[27]

Although Scipio was inclined to be strict, Mummius was more lenient and moderated his colleague, preventing him from stripping Tiberius Claudius Asellus of the public horse.^[28] The lustrum was completed the next year in 141 BC.^[29]

He probably died shortly after his censorship, since by 140 BC amid disputes over his censorship with Aemilianus he is spoken of in the past tense. Such a death would also be consistent with a senatorial decree for his daughter to be provided a dowry, since if he were still alive he would have been able to pay it directly.^[30]