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Post by Otto Kretschmer on Jul 20, 2024 14:26:13 GMT
What if he had never been born?
The most obvious consequence is no rise of Macedon. Macedon would remain a small kingdom in northern Greece. Also no phalanx and no Alexander the Great.
What would be the consequences for Greece and the rest of the world? I know very little about that place and time but I am inclined to think that Greece would remain disunited and weak for at least the next century - which means that the Achaemenid Empire has a high chance of surviving for at least that much longer.
And if the Achaemenids survive, what does it mean for the region? Could they influence the confrontation between Rome and Carthage?
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Post by Max Sinister on Jul 20, 2024 14:57:36 GMT
What'll Aristoteles do if he won't be the teacher of Alexander?
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stevep
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Post by stevep on Jul 20, 2024 16:56:31 GMT
What if he had never been born? The most obvious consequence is no rise of Macedon. Macedon would remain a small kingdom in northern Greece. Also no phalanx and no Alexander the Great. What would be the consequences for Greece and the rest of the world? I know very little about that place and time but I am inclined to think that Greece would remain disunited and weak for at least the next century - which means that the Achaemenid Empire has a high chance of surviving for at least that much longer. And if the Achaemenids survive, what does it mean for the region? Could they influence the confrontation between Rome and Carthage?
If Macedonia stays a weak and disunited 'barbarian' kingdom might Thebes maintain a longer lasting primacy and possibly build that into something larger. Their still likely to be stomped by Rome assuming that juggernaut goes ahead as OTL. Which I think it probably would as other than less support for the Greeks in S Italy I don't see many butterflies. - Of course there are always butterflies that happens, say Carthage wins the 1st Punic War or the Latin revolt is more successful say.
Without Macedonia going on its own conquest rampage under Alexander that means a lot less eastern influence and knowledge of events in the east and similarly a hell of a lot less Greek influence in places like Egypt, Mesopotamia, Syria and Iran.
How long does the Achaemenid empire survive without Alexander? Most large empires tend to last 2-3 centuries at most without a significant reset of some sort so by the time Rome pushes that far east it could still be there, whether vigorous or stagnant or you could see say its broken up or lost some territory with say a native Egyptian dynasty in Egypt rather than a Greek dynasty such as the Ptolemies?
If the Achaemenid had another surge of strength and vigor it might make another attempt to bring Greece under its control but I suspect it wouldn't go further west for logistical reasons and because the empire would have what it sees as more important issues elsewhere. You could get a position here where an expanding Rome could end up coming to the rescue of a beleaguered Greece against such Persian attacks, which would be an ironic reversal of OTL.
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