Roman Empire averted

[DominusNovus]

The second triumvirate consisted of Octavian, Antony, and Lepidus. And Sextus. Sextus?

Sextus Pompeius, youngest son of Pompey. The unwelcome fourth member of the three person junta that ruled Rome at the time. He had survived the death of his brothers and fathers, and had fought a guerilla war in Spain for some time, before moving on to piracy. When Caesar was killed, he was put in charge of Rome's fleets and the Italian coastal regions. When the triumvirate formed, he seized Sicily, effectively forming a resistance to the triumvirate, gaining support from any who opposed them (such as the remnants of the republican factions, and those who had been proscribed). With his fleet, he was able to intercept grain shipments to Rome, forcing Octavian and Antony to accept him as a legitimate power, giving him Corsica, Sardinia, as well as the promise of the Peloponnese and a consulship.

Of course, he never did get the Peloponnese or consulship. Sextus went back to blockading Italy, and Octavian kept failing at ousting him. Eventually, he had to trade some legions for some ships from Antony, just to battle Sextus. Still, weather was against him (as usual, it seemed that whenever Octavian tried to attack Sextus, storms wrecked his fleets), and only the ships under Octavian's lieutenant Agrippa saved the day. Sextus fled east and got himself perished.

So, WI, Sextus didn't get squished? Maybe Antony doesn't give Octavian those ships. Antony had supported Sextus in the past. Or maybe Agrippa's fleet is also wiped out.

This would weaken Octavian, forcing him to make some concessions to Sextus, as he had a stranglehold on Rome. Lepidus would linger on for longer than OTL, he might screw around a bit. Antony would also last for longer, he might end up being the dominant power. However, legions regularly defected to Octavian, so I imagine Antony would be restricted to the east. Especially if Sextus, who would effectively control the seas, knew that his best bet was to keep the others divided.

Anyway, instead of a united Roman Empire, we have something similar to the Post Alexander conquests.

[fortyseven]

I did not know of Sextus. Intriguing possibilities DN.

Sextus Pompeius, a pirate and Saviour of the Republic.

Thinks of Caesar the Tyrant who fought pirates.

[MerryPrankster]

I wonder if it would be possible for Sextus to coordinate with Brutus and Cassius's Republican forces. @ Phillippi, Brutus defeated Octavian, but Antony had defeated Cassius and then went on to defeat Brutus. Perhaps if Sextus and friends can move up into the Adriatic to interfere with offensive operations against the Republicans in Macedonia, things might turn out differently.

[carlton_bach]

Sexctus could definitely throw a spanner in the works of Octavian's quest for world domination and home comforts. That said, I doubt it would lead to the disintegration of the Empire into Hellenistic successor states. Unlike Alexander's conquests, the Roman Em,pire was still too much focuseed on a place - Rome - rather than a person - whowever that was at the time. I wouldn't exclude the possibility of one or two leaders 'going native' - Anthony is a good candidate - and taking bits with them, but Rome is likely to remain at the core.

Which leads us to the next problem. I am not sure how many more civil wars the Republic can take. The main reason - possibly the only reason - the empire embraced Augustus was that he brought peace. If the succeeding regime, whether it is Sextus Pompey, Anthony and Cleopatra VII, Octavian and Sextus, the Republican Brutus and Cassius party, or a figurehead Cicero, can't do that for long enough, then the next one may be the last one. And unless someone pulls a lot of political acumen out of his hat, there will be a next one. The Republic/Empire after the Gracchi and Sulla just isn't built for stability.

I could see a 2nd centure Mediterranean consisting of squabbling Greek states in the East, a powerful Arsacid empire looming over Syria and Anatolia, Italy still Latin-speaking but weakened, Spain and Gaul dominated by Latinate upper classes, but slipping out of Roman control, and North Africa independent and of mixed Graeco-Punic culture with a Mauretanian ruling class. Given another five centuries, everybody will start learning Chinese.