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Abstract:
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Within a single year - - 146 BCE - - Roman generals had entered the cities of Carthage and Corinth and forever changed the course of Mediterranean history . Although involved in separate conflicts with Rome , these cities and their tragedies became uniquely linked , not only to each other , but also to a perceived trajectory of Rome as an imperial power . Subsequent generations have looked to 146 BCE as an important turning point , and in doing so have attached value -laden interpretations to it as a gauge on Roman imperialism . This dissertation looks at 146 BCE from a different angle , seeking to understand its significance in terms of its contemporary international context , asking how it first became viewed as a turning point . The analysis utilizes international relations theory of normative systems , focusing on collective perceptions and evolving political conceptions within an interstate cultural environment . Exploring contemporary texts and archaeological clues , it sees the second -century BCE as a period in which the Mediterranean was becoming increasingly globalized , drawn together by universalizing ideals . A framework of "Hellenistic" markers communicated networks of legitimacy , Rome being both participant and game -changer . At the same time , the international community was rife with disjunctions , which contributed to a disintegration of relations in North Africa , followed by re -eruptions of nationalistic fervor on the Greek mainland . When coupled with wider perceptions , that the oikoumene was becoming progressively interconnected and was moving toward a new juncture in world -history , the stage was set . The legal punishments to be inflicted by the Roman victor were to be viewed on a whole new plane , as reflections of a groundbreaking world -order . Romans were aware of these implications , made evident in the decisions of Scipio at Carthage , followed by Mummius at Corinth . In a rare and stunning move , both cities were decommissioned as political entities , and their tragedies linked to contemporary visions of cyclical world -history : Carthage burned in reiteration of Troy , and Corinth stripped of cultural Greek heritage . Polybius , uniquely positioned as a commentator on these outcomes , not only captured their ideological ripple effects , but also assured their direction over future generations , as a moment to color Rome as world hegemon .
This dissertation looks at 146 BCE from a different angle , seeking to understand its significance in terms of its contemporary international context , asking how it first became viewed as a turning point . The analysis utilizes international relations theory of normative systems , focusing on collective perceptions and evolving political conceptions within an interstate cultural environment . Exploring contemporary texts and archaeological clues , it sees the second -century BCE as a period in which the Mediterranean was becoming increasingly globalized , drawn together by universalizing ideals . A framework of “Hellenistic” markers communicated networks of legitimacy ,
Rome being both participant and game -changer . At the same time , the international community was rife with disjunctions , which contributed to a disintegration of relations in North Africa , followed by re -eruptions of nationalistic fervor on the Greek mainland . When coupled with wider perceptions , that the oikoumene was becoming progressively interconnected and was moving toward a new juncture in world -history , the stage was set . The legal punishments to be inflicted by the Roman victor were to be viewed on a whole new plane , as reflections of a groundbreaking world -order .
Romans were aware of these implications , made evident in the decisions of Scipio at Carthage , followed by Mummius at Corinth . In a rare and stunning move , both cities were decommissioned as political entities , and their tragedies linked to contemporary visions of cyclical world -history : Carthage burned in reiteration of Troy , and Corinth stripped of cultural Greek heritage . Polybius , uniquely positioned as a commentator on these outcomes , not only captured their ideological ripple effects , but also assured their direction over future generations , as a moment to color Rome as world hegemon . |