Sicyon and the Destruction of Corinth

Sicyon’s late-Hellenistic (146–44 BC) relationship with Corinth and the Corinthia is frequently touched on in both Corinthian and Sicyonian scholarship, but this dynamic has rarely been explored in depth. By incorporating finds from a large variety of studies, I argue, among other things, that we need to do away with the preconception that both the Isthmian Games and Corinthian lands were given to Sicyon as gifts by Rome after Corinth’s destruction in 146 BC. Instead, I emphasize that both games and land might have ended up in Sicyonian care due to more practical concerns and propose that the lands would have seen little active administration until 111 BC. I also argue that Corinth’s destruction prompted a reorientation of Sicyon’s economic relationship with the Aegean, and that some interim evidence from Corinth implies that the site functioned as a regional crossroads even after its destruction in 146 BC.