Hellenistic Empire TL

[Diogenes]

Basically, before I give the main timeline, Alexander got over his 'illness' and soon began to move both into the Arabian peninsula and across North Africa. After a few years, Carthage begins a war in 319 B.C., but gets beaten. After he takes the area of Yemen and makes it a rich trade area, the Carthaginians attack in force, lead by the father of Hamilcar Barca (Hallican until I know the real name). He forges his way to Alexandria before Alexander IV arrives, and gives chase until they meet in 310 B.C for Alexanders last major battle, the Battle of Cyrene. Hanno gets forced back, and after the Seige of Tripoli, Hallican retreats back to Carthage, and is ordered to negotiate for peace. He agrees, and is suprised to find that Alexander is a reasonable man, agreeing that he gets the area around Tripoli and a resonably fair amount of money. After taking the east coast of Arabia, he then retires to Babylon in 299 B.C., leaving the army to his son, Alexander IV. After 11 years of peace and prosperity, he dies a peacefull death in 288 B.C.

[DuQuense]

After taking the city of Mecca and making it a rich trade city,

In 300 BC there is no City of Mecca. Mecca is a small Oasis up in the hills miles from the coast with about 100 dirty Camel herders living around it.
Yemen [The land of Two Paradises] Both above and below the Great Marib Dam, is a major Trading and Agricultural export Centre.

[Diogenes]

288 B.C. Alexander III, better known as Alexander the Great, dies in Babylon, leaving his son Alexander IV as the new Basileus of Macedon, Hegemon of the Hellenic League, Pharoh of Egypt, and Shahanshah of Persia. Soon, Ptolmey and Seleucis gave their loyalty and were made govoners of Egypt and Syria, respectivley. However, Lysimachus refused to accept Alexander IV as Emperor, and defected to Rome, where he was accepted and given a special villa in the city. Alexander IV spent much of the rest of the year putting down small rebelions in Illyria, Crimea, Persia Major, and Arabia Major.

287 B.C. Alexander IV sends several small fleets consisting of 4-7 ships each down the eastern African coast and across the Alexandrian Ocean (OTL Indian Ocean) to explore and colonize. He also recives word that the former-general Lysimachus has helped put down a plebeian secession by military force, and was now a powerful senator. However, he was spreading fear throughout the Senate about a 'hellish Empire bent on the death of all' in the east.

286 B.C. Alexander IV sends emissary's to some of the Germanic, Frankish, and Celtic tribes, making trade routes and even causing some of the tribes to unite. However, when the new Celtic League of Tribes attack Rome, it causes the fear in the Senate to solidify, and it blames the attacks on the Hellenic Empire to the west. Lysimachus leads the new V and IX legions to the north, quickly winning battles against the Celts. Alexander secretly agrees to help, and in July of that year, attacks Bruttium with Seleucus while sending Ptolmy to take Roman possesions in Sicily. Suprisingly, Carthage sends some war elephants to help, and soon Ptolmey makes his way to the toe of Italy.

[Diogenes]

And i edited the Yemen part. Sorry

[Mikey]

I think this is interesting - please continue!

What's the lingua franca of the empire? Greek? If this sticks around, it's really going to change the linguistic history of the middle east.

[Nicomacheus]

Nice beginning...hmm, better coordination between Carthage and Rome. Could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship, methinks.

Also, while Alexander the Great was the III of Macdeon, he was the first of Persia and the rest.

Lastly, why isn't there some kind of revolt in the Greek states in there at some point? What happens to Demosthenes and his ilk?

[Diogenes]

Demothenese are the rest are still there, and there mostly havent been revolts cause all of Alexander III's generals are 6 feet under (or however it was back then...), but im glad you brought it up, mabye Demothenese will talk bout givin Alexander the boot.

[Diogenes]

285 B.C. Ptolemy I, shortly after landing in the toe of Italy, dies from natural causes, leaving his son, Ptolemy II, in charge of his army in the toe. Lysimachus tried to take advantage of this by bribeing him to join the Romans. When this failed, he attacked Ptolemy II, and both sides fought for 2 days with no victor apparent. However, at noon on the 3rd day, Alexanders army arrived, forcing Lysimachus to retreat. The Roman senate then sent a messanger to Alexander offering the bottom of peninsula and a bi-yearly tribute for peace. Alexander then accepted, adding that any army led in Greece or Europe could not be lead by Lysimachus.

284 B.C. Some of the explorers return with gold, ivory, and spices, reporting that they have set up settlements along the African coast. Lysimachus, ignoring Alexander, leads his V and IX legions into northern Illyria, and soon starts a war against the Kingdom of the Ostrogoths. The Senate, claiming not to have authorized this, orders Lysimachus to return, but he refuses, instead making his own kingdom in Illyria. Ptolemy II asks Alexander IV if he can attack, but Alexander denies, telling him 'I will tame the Boar with words, not swords.' (Lysimachus's army used a boar as their totem animal.)

283 B.C. Carthage begins to emulate Alexander, sending exploration fleets down the western African coast, and even send's 6 ships across the Western ocean. Alexander begins to accept German tribes into his empire, quickly gaining land and allies. This causes Lysimachus to attack, and Ptolemy meets him in the Battle of Thermon. As with their last battle, it seems after a day of fighting that there will be no victor. However, during the night, Ptolemy recieves reinforcements from Thermon and a Germanic tribe that just was accepted into the Empire. With these new reinforcements, Ptolemy is able to push Lysimachus back to Aquae Sulphurae, his capitol. There, Lysimachus again agrees never to attack the Empire or any Germanic tribe, and is given the bi-yearly tribute that Rome origionally had.

[Diogenes]

Heres the map of the Hellenisic Empire as of 283 B.C.

[Nicomacheus]

Two questions:

1) Why is India completely united? The history of the Maurya Empire should be different, since presumably Chandragupta isn't able to perform per OTL. Also, it never held the far south, IIRC.

2) What is the big green, steppe people blob and why has it conquered Korea?

[Philip]

Originally Posted by Nicomacheus

2) What is the big green, steppe people blob and why has it conquered Korea?

Looks like they got Kyushu and Shikoku as well.

[Analytical Engine]

Originally Posted by Nicomacheus

Two questions:

1) Why is India completely united? The history of the Maurya Empire should be different, since presumably Chandragupta isn't able to perform per OTL. Also, it never held the far south, IIRC.

2) What is the big green, steppe people blob and why has it conquered Korea?

Huns, judging by the terribly resized map key...

[Diogenes]

Yes, yes, sorry, I just realized my mistake. I'l fix it...

[Epimethius]

Umm you do realize that the ostrogoths really didn't exist as a cohesive nation at this point? Neither did the Lombards for that matter. I'm a wee bit hazy (not that hazy) on the history but the Goths as far as I knew (feel free to correct me anyone) still exist in proto form along the baltic sea or in scandanavia. At least thats where they were around the time of the Roman Republic.

[rcduggan]

I'm getting a slight sense of déjà vu here...

[Diogenes]

well, hey, correct me if i'm wrong, but isn't there a large number of Alexander surviving TLs? And besides, this is more about Alexanders SON than Alexander himself.

282 B.C. Alexander recieves word from his Celtic allies that Frakish and Roman armies are moving along their border. Alexander IV tries to mediate the situation, but is drawn away after reports of skirmishes along the Indus river. However, fearing Rome will take advantage of his absence, the Celts attack the Romans and Franks in the Battle of the Rubicon and the Battle of Lugdunon. Ptolemy refused to enter the conflict unless one side attacked the Empire.

281 B.C. Carthage recieves word that one of their colonizing fleets got blown off course and, after many months of sailing, has landed on a land where 'The natives are friendly, and gold is as common and well know as grass'. The island (OTL Puerto Rico) was named New Carthage, and soon several other fleets were sent to New Carthage and New Africa (OTL South America). Alexander has returned to Europe after negotiating with the Indians and has begun mediating the situation. Lysimachus, seeing that the conflict will end soon, decides to attack Romes Illyrian possesions, although he does not get far due to the fact that most of his troops are Roman. His Illyrian troops, however, catch his eye with their ferocity and courage. By the middle of the year, the warring factions decide on a treaty. The Celts will gain the western coast of Gaul and Roman land up to the Rubicon, while Lysimachus is given the rest of Illyria, but he must allow any Romans in his land to return to Rome, severly hurting his military numbers. Rome is also forced to pay both their and the Franks tribute, which, compaired to the rest of the treaty, is rather easy on them. Ptolemy is sent to the Danube to keep the Goths, who were moving troops in the area, in check.

280 B.C. Soon after the begining of the year, Carthage gets more reports of the wealth of the islands in New Carthage, and even has plans to bring a ruler of a nearby nation to Carthage. The Celts, meanwhile, have begun to settle a island in the north, which has increased the amount of whaling and cod fishing in the area. However, while Carthage and the Celts are busy exploring and settling, Illyria has unsuccesfully invaded Italy, leading to the Adriatic War. It proves to be a short naval war, and after Alexander once again mediates the situation, he is named the Diplomat by several Greek philosophers, and is 'so afraid to fight that he instead tries to bombard his enemys with words.'

[Lysandros Aikiedes]

Although I very much appreciate what your work, I think I would be remiss to point out that the Germannic Franks did not exist as a distinct tribe until the third century C.E. Other than that, good job.

[Philip]

You really should fix the legend on your map.

[Diogenes]

Ya know what, i'll get rid of it all together

[Diogenes]

(I know, but Alexander the Great spread ideals about unity and such, and his son followed through)

279 B.C. Following the Adriatic War, in which Lysimachus was the self-proclamed winner, Illyria begins to send troops to force the German tribes to the north to join Illyria, although to keep Alexander away, Lysimachus does not lead these forces. The Romans become outraged from his lack of intervention, and decides to bring justice themselves by attacking Illyria in the Second Adriatic War, and becomes the first war to be declared after less than a year of peace. However, the Romans fail miserably in their attempted landing, and are not fully ready for another war. The Illyrians, on the other hand, have been waiting for an oppertunity to take Roman land. After 2 days of heavy fighting, the Illyrians finnaly captured a beachhead. Ignoring several Hellenese diplomats, the Illyrians captured Picenum with very little resistance. The Roman XI, IV, and XIV legions finnaly were able to lock the Illyrian force into a battle, and so began the Battle of Vomanus, although the battle accually occured 3 miles from the river. The Romans tried to attack with their normal infantry tactics, but mounted Illyrian javelinmen drove them off several times. By midday, Illyrian peltasts had lured the Romans into the forest near the river, and there the hoplites absolutly slaughtered the confused and injured Romans. The Romans were now ripe for the picking, but Alexander once more sent Ptolemy in to forcefully negotiate the problem. Although the Illyrians agreed to peace, several Greek philosophers were begining to sway the public with poisonous remarks on Alexanders lack of going into the situation himself.
Meanwhile, the Carthaginians were unintentionally gaining the ire of the people in New Carthage and New Africa because of the diseases they brought with them. Soon, the people in the new world refused to trade with them, and things came to a head when the Mayan emperor died from one of these diseases. The Mayans brought their fury on the invaders, but Carthages superior technology eventually pushed them back, along with these diseases. Soon, the Carhaginians made considerable progress, and forged throught the Mayans with ease.
The Celts, however, did not make such good progress. Even though they had succesfully taken over their new island, the second land they had found seemed to be a Gods-forsaken land, with few pockets of green land.