Hnau
Banned
I guess the POD really doesn't matter that much. Was Alexander the Great poisoned in OTL? Or did he fall sick, as one naturally would with his kind of lifestyle and rampant marching through foreign environments? Either way, in this timeline, the month of June, 323 BCE, doesn't show up on the radar at all. Life continues for King Alexander III, or, as he has been calling himself recently, Shahanshah Alexander III. Perhaps his assassins never get the idea to assassinate Alexander. Perhaps Alexander doesn't pick up that virus in India or he possesses an immunity. The fact is, that in this timeline, and I certainly believe this is plausible, is that Alexander III lives to the age of 50 (and 9 months). That's right, all the way up to April, 305 BCE.
Note about the dating: After the death of Alexander the Great, a proper calendar is created for the Macedonian Empire, counting from the beginning of the Argead Dynasty, the ruling family of Macedon, beginning with Karanus in 808 BCE. Thus, the year 485 APR (Ab Primoris Rex, or After the First King) is analogous to 323 BCE. I'll use the APR dating system much more after Alexander has died.
323 BCE (485 APR)
Shahanshah Alexander III knows he needs an off-year, to keep his soldiers placated after recent mutinies. He also wishes to continue his mourning of the death of his best friend (and possibly lover), Hephaestion. While he is coping, Alexander remains in Babylon and surrounding cities, orders the construction of new public structures, pays his Macedonian soldiers and officials, then gives them wives and simple tasks to fill their time. He also spends the year organizing new armies to hold down his empire, mostly with Persian soldiers, but he also sends generals on recruiting missions to Greece. By the end of the year his generals report that he has nearly returned to normalcy after the crisis following Hephaestion's death.
322 BCE
Prince Sandrocottus (Indian name: Chandragupta Maurya) begins an invasion against the Indian satrapies of the Macedonian Empire. While Antipater has just arrived in the area with fresh troops, Sandrocottus is nevertheless widely successful in leading uprisings against the Greek invaders. News arrives in Babylon by the summer. Alexander gathers his armies, waiting until the winter to move, eager to wage warfare in India during the cooler months. Thus begins the Second Indian Campaign. [1]
321 BCE
Alexander arrives in Alexandria-in-Arachosia early in the year, reinforcing Antipater's troops. After a major battle in Taxila, he largely reinstates Macedonian authority. He fights numerous small battles against Sandrocottus along the Indus, and is amazed at the prince's tenacity and success with so few soldiers. Finally, the Macedonian armies are able to encircle and capture Sandrocottus in a small fortification. Alexander takes a liking to the prince, as well as his teacher, Chanakya, and keeps him as a close prisoner. Some will suspect that Alexander has found a new lover to replace Hephaestion.
320 BCE
Cities of northern and central Greece, led by Athens, begin a rebellion against Macedonian oppression. Craterus upholds his duty and wages war against them. [2] Alexander, after reinforcing his satraps to hold down his Indian possessions, begins his trip back to Asia Minor. He takes Sandracottus along with him on his journey. Antipater is left to manage the bulk of the territory.
319 BCE
Alexander's armies put down the First Greek Revolt, afterwards executing those who had orchestrated the event, and stripping cities of their democracy and instituting set oligarchies in their place. Alexander consolidates authority. Spartan king Eudamidas I is named as a major culprit of the rebellion. [3] Craterus has been constructing a navy along the Levant, for future use against the Carthaginian Empire, and so Alexander decides to whet his new navy against Spartan shores. Three major battles are fought to conquer the city and surrounding areas, but in the end Sparta falls and is absorbed into the Macedonian Empire. [4] Agis III is executed, along with other important Spartan officials. In India, Antipater falls ill and dies.
318 BCE (490 APR) to 317 BCE
Shahanshah Alexander III plays king in Macedonia and Greece. Smaller rebellions have peppered the region, following the crackdown on Sparta, and Alexander boredly puts these down. He founds the port-city of Alexandria-in-Macedonia (OTL Thessaloniki) and orders Spartan soldiers, mostly single, with a few families, to populate it, and take up Persian wives. It will become an important trade hub of the Aegean. Eventually, the balance of power stabilizes, and Alexander leaves for Egypt, then moves to Babylon, showing Sandrocottus his empire, while making sure his underlings are doing what they should be doing. He facilitates a new temple building program throughout his empire, with great temples to be constructed in Delos, Delphi, Dodona, Dium, Amphipolis, Cyrnus and Ilium. He also attempts to mix his Asian and European populations, sending Greek nobles, philosophers, and soldiers with their families farther East, while seeding Greece and nearby regions with Persian farmers, artisans. Hundreds (perhaps thousands) of Persian boys are sent to study in Greek schools and live in Greek cities. This isn't actually as extensive as Alexander would like, and he finds it quite difficult to administer. [5]
The Macedonian navy also takes its chances against the pirates of Crete, and succeeds in making client states out of the divided Greek kingdoms on the island.
316 BCE
Sandrocottus is promised a high position as a military leader in India. Alexander III admires his dream of making India civilized and strong. If only Sandrocottus could accomplish this under the Macedonian Empire, he would be quite the instrument. Sandrocottus has absorbed many Hellenistic ideas, philosophies, only just clinging to his Jainist beliefs, and has even taken a Greek princess as a wife.
315 BCE
Word is delivered to Alexander in Ancyra that his satraps in India have begun conquests of their own against the Nanda Empire. The Shahanshah mobilizes his armies in the west, gathering a huge number of Greeks to be swapped with Persians along the way, to seed the eastern portions of the empire with Greek soldiers. Sandrocottus is sent ahead with a small military contingent to reinforce the Indian satrapies and aid them in battle. This begins the Third Indian Campaign.
Before leaving, Alexander III orders new cities to be founded, Alexandria Troas (OTL Bozcaada) and Alexandria Ancore (OTL Nicaea/Iznik) in Asia Minor.
314 BCE
Alexander arrives with a large army in Taxila after a slow journey across his empire, to find that Sandrocottus has already moved ahead with the conquest of India. The Nanda Empire was ripe for a popular uprising against the corrupt king, Dhana Nanda. [6] The huge military rumored to be held by the Nanda Empire during Alexander's first campaign has either dissolved or turned against the old institutions. Alexander's many soldiers, largely Persian, launch a quick offensive towards the Ganges.
313 BCE (495 APR)
The Third Indian Campaign is easily finished, with Alexander and his armies coming to an early rest at the Ganges Delta. Behind them is their empire, stretching all the way back east to the Indus, where they began. Sandrocottus becomes the popular leader throughout this territory, and is given a large satrapy, surrounded by smaller satrapies along the frontiers. Two new Alexandrias are founded along tributaries of the Ganges, while the capital Pataliputra is named Alexandria-on-the-Ganges. Persian soldiers are given seats of power, and war elephants are sent en masse to Babylon as gifts. Alexander leaves Sandrocottus behind to enjoy his new power, moving slowly towards Babylon, checking on his empire along the way.
Back west, a revolt in Epirus against Macedonian influence is put down by Craterus. The kingdom is shortly absorbed into the Empire.
312 BCE
Craterus launches a war of conquest against Arabia, using a navy in the Red Sea to gobble up the coastline kingdoms and bare populations with ruthless force. New ports are created. Craterus hopes mercantile efforts will now begin to stretch farther into the Red Sea and Persian Gulf. Meanwhile, the Shahanshah Alexander orders the Persian royal road to be expanded in order to connect Babylon, Persepolis, and Alexandria-in-Susiana, with a goal of reaching Alexandria-in-Carmania, Harmozia, and Pura. The town of Orrhoa in northern Mesopotamia is refounded as a military colony, renamed Edessa, and settled with older Greek soldiers that Alexander promises peace to for the rest of their days. Their families are sent from Greece.
311 BCE
Alexander meets Craterus in Susa, and is able to hear of his successes in conquering the Arabian coastline. He is quite pleased of his general's accomplishments, and promotes him to a higher rank, and even holds a festival in his honor, though in reality his duties will remain the same. Shortly thereafter, news arrives of revolts in Cyprus and Cyrene. [7] Alexander sends Craterus, the most accomplished master of naval combat, to consolidate those territories. At the same time, the Carthaginians under General Hamilcar have begun a war of conquest against the Greek tyrant of Syracuse, Agathocles, an ally and client of the Macedonian Empire. Sicilian Greeks plead for rescue from the Macedonians. [8]
Meanwhile, in India, Sandrocottus begins asserting his power over the surrounding satrapies, more than he was so instructed. However, he plays the power game intelligently, and before the other satraps know it, his influence extends throughout all of Alexandrian India.
310 BCE
Craterus continues his efforts to quell revolts in Cyrene and Cyprus. Alexander, now in Egyptian Alexandria, contemplates warfare against the Carthaginian Empire, in order to preserve the Greek colonies in Sicily... and to gain new territories. New building programs have been launched by the Shahanshah: roads, temples, and cultural fusion. He also orders the construction of the Royal Library and Museum of Alexandria, with the help of Demetrius Phalereus, in recognition of his teacher Aristotle. He staffs the museum with some 100 professors paid by the sate. [9]
In Alexandrian India, Sandrocottus begins on his own a war of conquest against the states of southern India, beyond the barrier of the Vindhya Range and into the Deccan Plateau. Greek and Persian officials play vital roles in leading Indian armies. [10]
309 BCE
With Alexander's go-ahead, Craterus launches his navy towards Sicily, to reinforce Syracuse, Agathocles, Sicilian Greeks, and force them under Macedonian rule. A Levantine army sent to Sicily begins to sweep aside Hamilcar and Carthaginian forces there. [11] Meanwhile, in Carthage, Bamilcar begins a coup against the ruling Council of Elders, to retake the empire for the monarchy. The coup fails, but causes a large amount of civil unrest in the city as there begins a transition to an actual de facto republic. Agathocles, with Macedonian ships and soldiers handling the situation in Sicily, moves a huge bulk of his military and navy towards Cyrenaica. There, he takes advantage of the civil unrest in Carthage by initiating a siege against the city. [12]
In Babylon, Shahanshah Alexander III receives news of the events in India. He leaves his generals in charge, and makes another long journey to India with a small contingent.
308 BCE (500 APR)
Sicily is conquered in its entirety by Greek soldiers and Macedonian ships. Hamilcar is driven from Sicilian shores, but arrives at Carthage too late... the capital city had surprisingly fallen to Agathocles! [12] Craterus orders his forces to pursue the retreating Carthaginians, and then finds Carthage in Greek hands. He quickly mobilizes to protect the city from being retaken.
Arriving in India, Alexander holds celebrations during his reunion with Sandrocottus in Alexandria-on-the-Ganges. His Greek and Persian officials are given permanent seats in various Indian cities, while Indian farmers, soldiers, and others are ordered to follow roads back to Persia. Alexandria-on-the-Ganges is also renamed Sandracotia in honor of Sandrocottus. With Alexander's blessing, Sandrocottus continues his conquest of southern India. Alexander is wary, however, of this burgeoning power, and takes it upon himself to engage in a tour of Indian cities, utilizing his authority to build roads and raise small armies.
Celebrations are held in Macedonia celebrating the 500th anniversary of the ascent of the first Argead king, Karanus. Philosophers begin to use Argeadian dating.
307 BCE
Alexander's host is rich with Indian soldiers and population, as he moves back once more to Babylon. At nearly fifty years old, and after a rough, soldier's life, Alexander III begins to feel quite sickly, more so every passing month. Feeling that his life is ebbing, Alexander makes sure to ensure his legacy. He begins a final, widescale re-organization of officials and armies throughout the empire.
Meanwhile, Sardinia is conquered by the Macedonian navy under Craterus. With the occupation of Carthage, and the Carthaginian navy being wittled down, the rest of the empire begins to dissolve. Carthaginian elites escape to refuge in Iberia, and there begin to fight against one another for power. Much of North Africa remains Carthaginian, under the power of the cities Utica and Hippacritae, but only just so.
306 BCE
The Testament of Shahanshah Alexander III the Great of the Macedonian Empire is written. Among this:
- The building of a thousand warships are to be built, to conquer the remnants of the Carthaginian Empire, in Iberia and North Africa.
- The building of a road in northern Africa as far as the Pillars of Heracles, with ports and shipyards along it.
- The construction of a monumental tomb for his father Philip, to match the greatest of the pyramids of Egypt.
- The establishment of cities and the transplant of population from Asia to Europe and in the opposite direction from Europe to Asia, in order to bring the largest continent to common unity and to friendship by means of intermarriage and family ties.
- The rebuilding of the Pharoah's canal
- The extension of the royal road all the way to Sandracotia, and a port on the Ganges delta.
- The construction of ports along the Arabian coast and the construction of a merchant fleet to begin extensive overseas trade between Persia, India, Egypt and Greece.
- The use of Argeadian dating, and yearly celebrations for the birth of Alexander's father, Philip II, as well as his own day of birth, and that of his son. [5]
Elsewhere, generals begin to plot for the coming power exchange between Alexander III and his son, Alexander IV. Craterus dutifully returns to the mainland and Babylon to see his king for the last time.
503 APR (305 BCE)
In the first days of April, Alexander III passes away from old age at 50 years. His first legitimate son to Roxana, Alexander IV, inherits the throne at eighteen years old. Though his father had forced his generals to swear loyalty to his son, the new Shahanshah is young, and inexperienced, having served only in the Third Indian Campaign. The generals will begin to assert much more power over the new king of kings, though they will not outright try to co-opt him. Nevertheless, Shahanshah Alexander III the Great of the Macedonian Empire, has left his empire intact.
---
[1] - Alexander's death triggered Chandragupta's march against the Indian satrapies. Now, without him dying, it will obviously take a while longer for greater pressure to build up in order for Chandragupta to summon enough courage to launch his invasion. It would be more plausible if we waited two, three, or four more years to attack the Indian satrapies, but, I didn't want Alexander to become entrenched in the Arabian Campaign or... a Punic War against Carthage too early. If so, Chandragupta could have conquered Northwest India and then moved on to conquer the Nanda Empire by the time Alexander arrived. This would have made an Indian conquest extremely improbable at best. So: Chandragupta begins one year after OTL when he should have launched his invasions. With Alexander still alive, the satraps in India put up more of a resistance: Eumenes and others don't get the idea to ditch the territory and put together a power play back west. This gives Alexander enough time to march over to the Indus, confront Chandragupta Maurya (now Sandrocottus) in battle, imprison and befriend him. The Nanda Empire continues under the corrupt Dhana Nanda, and the population seethes under his rule.
[2] - Without Alexander's death, the forces that caused the Lamian War need to build up more before blowing up. Approx. three years. Craterus was switched out with Antipater (which Antipater fought against in OTL, with Alexander out of the picture) and so he is responsible for putting down the rebellion.
[3]- Sparta revolted only a decade earlier against the Alexandrians. With the longer time for forces to pressurize, Sparta could join in the fight. Nevertheless, Sparta is a proud, rich land that has become lazy as of late, and Alexander does want to test out his new navy...
[4] - Some twenty-five years later than this time, in OTL, Demetrius Poliorcetes attempted to conquer Sparta and the territory she held. The Spartans were defeated in two battles, and the city nearly fell, but Demetrius turned to Macedon at the last minute. This shows that the city had become weak as of late. Twenty-five years earlier, with one more battle, its very plausible the city would have fallen to whoever attacked it.
[5] - Alexander's last testament.
[6]- Chandragupta Maurya conquered the entirety of the Nanda Empire in more or less a year with very few preparations. Plutarch reported that "Androcottus, when he was a stripling, saw Alexander himself, and we are told that he often said in later times that Alexander narrowly missed making himself master of the country, since its king was hated and despised on account of his baseness and low birth." The whole structure was doomed to collapse with just a kick in the door. Plus, Chandragupta is fighting with Macedonian arms and a few more years of experience.
[7]- Revolts began in Cyprus and Cyrene in 313 BCE. That was during the civil unrest of the diadochi period... so with the Alexandrian Empire still strong, the rebellion is put off until more pressure builds, two years later.
[8]- As per OTL. Agathocles isn't a diadochi, but came to power as a simple Greek upstart. The Sicilian Greek colonies are independent of Alexander's empire. I don't believe that the POD would cause any major butterflies in this arena, or if it does, its as plausible to say the same thing would happen as if it would not.
[9]- Three years earlier, due to a more cohesive empire.
[10] - Sandrocottus has achieved a seat of power in 313 BCE that he should have taken as early as 320 BCE. He spends two years playing power games with those around him, influencing them more and more until he is the de facto power in India. His old desire to conquer all of India has by 310 BCE returned. In OTL, Chandragupta Maurya conquered Southern India in five years. He was also old enough by 300 BCE that he gave up power to his son. By the time he conquers all of India in 304 BCE (including states in South India he did not conquer in OTL), he will have four extra years before that point to make lasting changes.
[11]- Hamilcar was turned back after a long stalemate in 308 BCE, and he was throwing everything he could at one city, Syracuse. A new army and a much greater navy entering the war will easily turn aside Hamilcar and his Carthaginian forces.
[12] - I still believe Bamilcar would fail at his coup. Not that it would matter, it would still cause enough civil unrest to allow the Macedonians a foot in the door. Ah... poor Carthaginians, everything's falling into the Alexandrians' hands. Also in OTL, Agathocles performed the same maneuver, attacking Carthage on the mainland. He nearly succeeded in taking the city. With that slight Macedonian push, it becomes possible to conquer Carthage. No carthago delenda est here though... which makes me think that this place will eventually fall to a rebellion or a reconquista. Would the Macedonians thus give Carthage back, force them to pay tribute or some-such? Seems unlikely, with such an opportunity of taking Carthage itself, and the idea that they would only get Sardinia and Sicily from this war. Perhaps the other cities of the Carthaginian Empire, which were historically against one another, decide to cut their losses. With no Carthage, and thus no Empire, North Africa becomes an expanse of independent city-states, most are republics or oligarchies. Iberia seems the most likely to take on a large mass of refugees who want to continue the fight and reclaim the glory of the empire... They begin to expand through the peninsula with their famed mix of mercenary armies and large fleets. Perhaps they make an alliance with a young Roman Republic, who will soon be fighting the Macedonian Empire. Well, we'll see, later on, I guess.
Note about the dating: After the death of Alexander the Great, a proper calendar is created for the Macedonian Empire, counting from the beginning of the Argead Dynasty, the ruling family of Macedon, beginning with Karanus in 808 BCE. Thus, the year 485 APR (Ab Primoris Rex, or After the First King) is analogous to 323 BCE. I'll use the APR dating system much more after Alexander has died.
323 BCE (485 APR)
Shahanshah Alexander III knows he needs an off-year, to keep his soldiers placated after recent mutinies. He also wishes to continue his mourning of the death of his best friend (and possibly lover), Hephaestion. While he is coping, Alexander remains in Babylon and surrounding cities, orders the construction of new public structures, pays his Macedonian soldiers and officials, then gives them wives and simple tasks to fill their time. He also spends the year organizing new armies to hold down his empire, mostly with Persian soldiers, but he also sends generals on recruiting missions to Greece. By the end of the year his generals report that he has nearly returned to normalcy after the crisis following Hephaestion's death.
322 BCE
Prince Sandrocottus (Indian name: Chandragupta Maurya) begins an invasion against the Indian satrapies of the Macedonian Empire. While Antipater has just arrived in the area with fresh troops, Sandrocottus is nevertheless widely successful in leading uprisings against the Greek invaders. News arrives in Babylon by the summer. Alexander gathers his armies, waiting until the winter to move, eager to wage warfare in India during the cooler months. Thus begins the Second Indian Campaign. [1]
321 BCE
Alexander arrives in Alexandria-in-Arachosia early in the year, reinforcing Antipater's troops. After a major battle in Taxila, he largely reinstates Macedonian authority. He fights numerous small battles against Sandrocottus along the Indus, and is amazed at the prince's tenacity and success with so few soldiers. Finally, the Macedonian armies are able to encircle and capture Sandrocottus in a small fortification. Alexander takes a liking to the prince, as well as his teacher, Chanakya, and keeps him as a close prisoner. Some will suspect that Alexander has found a new lover to replace Hephaestion.
320 BCE
Cities of northern and central Greece, led by Athens, begin a rebellion against Macedonian oppression. Craterus upholds his duty and wages war against them. [2] Alexander, after reinforcing his satraps to hold down his Indian possessions, begins his trip back to Asia Minor. He takes Sandracottus along with him on his journey. Antipater is left to manage the bulk of the territory.
319 BCE
Alexander's armies put down the First Greek Revolt, afterwards executing those who had orchestrated the event, and stripping cities of their democracy and instituting set oligarchies in their place. Alexander consolidates authority. Spartan king Eudamidas I is named as a major culprit of the rebellion. [3] Craterus has been constructing a navy along the Levant, for future use against the Carthaginian Empire, and so Alexander decides to whet his new navy against Spartan shores. Three major battles are fought to conquer the city and surrounding areas, but in the end Sparta falls and is absorbed into the Macedonian Empire. [4] Agis III is executed, along with other important Spartan officials. In India, Antipater falls ill and dies.
318 BCE (490 APR) to 317 BCE
Shahanshah Alexander III plays king in Macedonia and Greece. Smaller rebellions have peppered the region, following the crackdown on Sparta, and Alexander boredly puts these down. He founds the port-city of Alexandria-in-Macedonia (OTL Thessaloniki) and orders Spartan soldiers, mostly single, with a few families, to populate it, and take up Persian wives. It will become an important trade hub of the Aegean. Eventually, the balance of power stabilizes, and Alexander leaves for Egypt, then moves to Babylon, showing Sandrocottus his empire, while making sure his underlings are doing what they should be doing. He facilitates a new temple building program throughout his empire, with great temples to be constructed in Delos, Delphi, Dodona, Dium, Amphipolis, Cyrnus and Ilium. He also attempts to mix his Asian and European populations, sending Greek nobles, philosophers, and soldiers with their families farther East, while seeding Greece and nearby regions with Persian farmers, artisans. Hundreds (perhaps thousands) of Persian boys are sent to study in Greek schools and live in Greek cities. This isn't actually as extensive as Alexander would like, and he finds it quite difficult to administer. [5]
The Macedonian navy also takes its chances against the pirates of Crete, and succeeds in making client states out of the divided Greek kingdoms on the island.
316 BCE
Sandrocottus is promised a high position as a military leader in India. Alexander III admires his dream of making India civilized and strong. If only Sandrocottus could accomplish this under the Macedonian Empire, he would be quite the instrument. Sandrocottus has absorbed many Hellenistic ideas, philosophies, only just clinging to his Jainist beliefs, and has even taken a Greek princess as a wife.
315 BCE
Word is delivered to Alexander in Ancyra that his satraps in India have begun conquests of their own against the Nanda Empire. The Shahanshah mobilizes his armies in the west, gathering a huge number of Greeks to be swapped with Persians along the way, to seed the eastern portions of the empire with Greek soldiers. Sandrocottus is sent ahead with a small military contingent to reinforce the Indian satrapies and aid them in battle. This begins the Third Indian Campaign.
Before leaving, Alexander III orders new cities to be founded, Alexandria Troas (OTL Bozcaada) and Alexandria Ancore (OTL Nicaea/Iznik) in Asia Minor.
314 BCE
Alexander arrives with a large army in Taxila after a slow journey across his empire, to find that Sandrocottus has already moved ahead with the conquest of India. The Nanda Empire was ripe for a popular uprising against the corrupt king, Dhana Nanda. [6] The huge military rumored to be held by the Nanda Empire during Alexander's first campaign has either dissolved or turned against the old institutions. Alexander's many soldiers, largely Persian, launch a quick offensive towards the Ganges.
313 BCE (495 APR)
The Third Indian Campaign is easily finished, with Alexander and his armies coming to an early rest at the Ganges Delta. Behind them is their empire, stretching all the way back east to the Indus, where they began. Sandrocottus becomes the popular leader throughout this territory, and is given a large satrapy, surrounded by smaller satrapies along the frontiers. Two new Alexandrias are founded along tributaries of the Ganges, while the capital Pataliputra is named Alexandria-on-the-Ganges. Persian soldiers are given seats of power, and war elephants are sent en masse to Babylon as gifts. Alexander leaves Sandrocottus behind to enjoy his new power, moving slowly towards Babylon, checking on his empire along the way.
Back west, a revolt in Epirus against Macedonian influence is put down by Craterus. The kingdom is shortly absorbed into the Empire.
312 BCE
Craterus launches a war of conquest against Arabia, using a navy in the Red Sea to gobble up the coastline kingdoms and bare populations with ruthless force. New ports are created. Craterus hopes mercantile efforts will now begin to stretch farther into the Red Sea and Persian Gulf. Meanwhile, the Shahanshah Alexander orders the Persian royal road to be expanded in order to connect Babylon, Persepolis, and Alexandria-in-Susiana, with a goal of reaching Alexandria-in-Carmania, Harmozia, and Pura. The town of Orrhoa in northern Mesopotamia is refounded as a military colony, renamed Edessa, and settled with older Greek soldiers that Alexander promises peace to for the rest of their days. Their families are sent from Greece.
311 BCE
Alexander meets Craterus in Susa, and is able to hear of his successes in conquering the Arabian coastline. He is quite pleased of his general's accomplishments, and promotes him to a higher rank, and even holds a festival in his honor, though in reality his duties will remain the same. Shortly thereafter, news arrives of revolts in Cyprus and Cyrene. [7] Alexander sends Craterus, the most accomplished master of naval combat, to consolidate those territories. At the same time, the Carthaginians under General Hamilcar have begun a war of conquest against the Greek tyrant of Syracuse, Agathocles, an ally and client of the Macedonian Empire. Sicilian Greeks plead for rescue from the Macedonians. [8]
Meanwhile, in India, Sandrocottus begins asserting his power over the surrounding satrapies, more than he was so instructed. However, he plays the power game intelligently, and before the other satraps know it, his influence extends throughout all of Alexandrian India.
310 BCE
Craterus continues his efforts to quell revolts in Cyrene and Cyprus. Alexander, now in Egyptian Alexandria, contemplates warfare against the Carthaginian Empire, in order to preserve the Greek colonies in Sicily... and to gain new territories. New building programs have been launched by the Shahanshah: roads, temples, and cultural fusion. He also orders the construction of the Royal Library and Museum of Alexandria, with the help of Demetrius Phalereus, in recognition of his teacher Aristotle. He staffs the museum with some 100 professors paid by the sate. [9]
In Alexandrian India, Sandrocottus begins on his own a war of conquest against the states of southern India, beyond the barrier of the Vindhya Range and into the Deccan Plateau. Greek and Persian officials play vital roles in leading Indian armies. [10]
309 BCE
With Alexander's go-ahead, Craterus launches his navy towards Sicily, to reinforce Syracuse, Agathocles, Sicilian Greeks, and force them under Macedonian rule. A Levantine army sent to Sicily begins to sweep aside Hamilcar and Carthaginian forces there. [11] Meanwhile, in Carthage, Bamilcar begins a coup against the ruling Council of Elders, to retake the empire for the monarchy. The coup fails, but causes a large amount of civil unrest in the city as there begins a transition to an actual de facto republic. Agathocles, with Macedonian ships and soldiers handling the situation in Sicily, moves a huge bulk of his military and navy towards Cyrenaica. There, he takes advantage of the civil unrest in Carthage by initiating a siege against the city. [12]
In Babylon, Shahanshah Alexander III receives news of the events in India. He leaves his generals in charge, and makes another long journey to India with a small contingent.
308 BCE (500 APR)
Sicily is conquered in its entirety by Greek soldiers and Macedonian ships. Hamilcar is driven from Sicilian shores, but arrives at Carthage too late... the capital city had surprisingly fallen to Agathocles! [12] Craterus orders his forces to pursue the retreating Carthaginians, and then finds Carthage in Greek hands. He quickly mobilizes to protect the city from being retaken.
Arriving in India, Alexander holds celebrations during his reunion with Sandrocottus in Alexandria-on-the-Ganges. His Greek and Persian officials are given permanent seats in various Indian cities, while Indian farmers, soldiers, and others are ordered to follow roads back to Persia. Alexandria-on-the-Ganges is also renamed Sandracotia in honor of Sandrocottus. With Alexander's blessing, Sandrocottus continues his conquest of southern India. Alexander is wary, however, of this burgeoning power, and takes it upon himself to engage in a tour of Indian cities, utilizing his authority to build roads and raise small armies.
Celebrations are held in Macedonia celebrating the 500th anniversary of the ascent of the first Argead king, Karanus. Philosophers begin to use Argeadian dating.
307 BCE
Alexander's host is rich with Indian soldiers and population, as he moves back once more to Babylon. At nearly fifty years old, and after a rough, soldier's life, Alexander III begins to feel quite sickly, more so every passing month. Feeling that his life is ebbing, Alexander makes sure to ensure his legacy. He begins a final, widescale re-organization of officials and armies throughout the empire.
Meanwhile, Sardinia is conquered by the Macedonian navy under Craterus. With the occupation of Carthage, and the Carthaginian navy being wittled down, the rest of the empire begins to dissolve. Carthaginian elites escape to refuge in Iberia, and there begin to fight against one another for power. Much of North Africa remains Carthaginian, under the power of the cities Utica and Hippacritae, but only just so.
306 BCE
The Testament of Shahanshah Alexander III the Great of the Macedonian Empire is written. Among this:
- The building of a thousand warships are to be built, to conquer the remnants of the Carthaginian Empire, in Iberia and North Africa.
- The building of a road in northern Africa as far as the Pillars of Heracles, with ports and shipyards along it.
- The construction of a monumental tomb for his father Philip, to match the greatest of the pyramids of Egypt.
- The establishment of cities and the transplant of population from Asia to Europe and in the opposite direction from Europe to Asia, in order to bring the largest continent to common unity and to friendship by means of intermarriage and family ties.
- The rebuilding of the Pharoah's canal
- The extension of the royal road all the way to Sandracotia, and a port on the Ganges delta.
- The construction of ports along the Arabian coast and the construction of a merchant fleet to begin extensive overseas trade between Persia, India, Egypt and Greece.
- The use of Argeadian dating, and yearly celebrations for the birth of Alexander's father, Philip II, as well as his own day of birth, and that of his son. [5]
Elsewhere, generals begin to plot for the coming power exchange between Alexander III and his son, Alexander IV. Craterus dutifully returns to the mainland and Babylon to see his king for the last time.
503 APR (305 BCE)
In the first days of April, Alexander III passes away from old age at 50 years. His first legitimate son to Roxana, Alexander IV, inherits the throne at eighteen years old. Though his father had forced his generals to swear loyalty to his son, the new Shahanshah is young, and inexperienced, having served only in the Third Indian Campaign. The generals will begin to assert much more power over the new king of kings, though they will not outright try to co-opt him. Nevertheless, Shahanshah Alexander III the Great of the Macedonian Empire, has left his empire intact.
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[1] - Alexander's death triggered Chandragupta's march against the Indian satrapies. Now, without him dying, it will obviously take a while longer for greater pressure to build up in order for Chandragupta to summon enough courage to launch his invasion. It would be more plausible if we waited two, three, or four more years to attack the Indian satrapies, but, I didn't want Alexander to become entrenched in the Arabian Campaign or... a Punic War against Carthage too early. If so, Chandragupta could have conquered Northwest India and then moved on to conquer the Nanda Empire by the time Alexander arrived. This would have made an Indian conquest extremely improbable at best. So: Chandragupta begins one year after OTL when he should have launched his invasions. With Alexander still alive, the satraps in India put up more of a resistance: Eumenes and others don't get the idea to ditch the territory and put together a power play back west. This gives Alexander enough time to march over to the Indus, confront Chandragupta Maurya (now Sandrocottus) in battle, imprison and befriend him. The Nanda Empire continues under the corrupt Dhana Nanda, and the population seethes under his rule.
[2] - Without Alexander's death, the forces that caused the Lamian War need to build up more before blowing up. Approx. three years. Craterus was switched out with Antipater (which Antipater fought against in OTL, with Alexander out of the picture) and so he is responsible for putting down the rebellion.
[3]- Sparta revolted only a decade earlier against the Alexandrians. With the longer time for forces to pressurize, Sparta could join in the fight. Nevertheless, Sparta is a proud, rich land that has become lazy as of late, and Alexander does want to test out his new navy...
[4] - Some twenty-five years later than this time, in OTL, Demetrius Poliorcetes attempted to conquer Sparta and the territory she held. The Spartans were defeated in two battles, and the city nearly fell, but Demetrius turned to Macedon at the last minute. This shows that the city had become weak as of late. Twenty-five years earlier, with one more battle, its very plausible the city would have fallen to whoever attacked it.
[5] - Alexander's last testament.
[6]- Chandragupta Maurya conquered the entirety of the Nanda Empire in more or less a year with very few preparations. Plutarch reported that "Androcottus, when he was a stripling, saw Alexander himself, and we are told that he often said in later times that Alexander narrowly missed making himself master of the country, since its king was hated and despised on account of his baseness and low birth." The whole structure was doomed to collapse with just a kick in the door. Plus, Chandragupta is fighting with Macedonian arms and a few more years of experience.
[7]- Revolts began in Cyprus and Cyrene in 313 BCE. That was during the civil unrest of the diadochi period... so with the Alexandrian Empire still strong, the rebellion is put off until more pressure builds, two years later.
[8]- As per OTL. Agathocles isn't a diadochi, but came to power as a simple Greek upstart. The Sicilian Greek colonies are independent of Alexander's empire. I don't believe that the POD would cause any major butterflies in this arena, or if it does, its as plausible to say the same thing would happen as if it would not.
[9]- Three years earlier, due to a more cohesive empire.
[10] - Sandrocottus has achieved a seat of power in 313 BCE that he should have taken as early as 320 BCE. He spends two years playing power games with those around him, influencing them more and more until he is the de facto power in India. His old desire to conquer all of India has by 310 BCE returned. In OTL, Chandragupta Maurya conquered Southern India in five years. He was also old enough by 300 BCE that he gave up power to his son. By the time he conquers all of India in 304 BCE (including states in South India he did not conquer in OTL), he will have four extra years before that point to make lasting changes.
[11]- Hamilcar was turned back after a long stalemate in 308 BCE, and he was throwing everything he could at one city, Syracuse. A new army and a much greater navy entering the war will easily turn aside Hamilcar and his Carthaginian forces.
[12] - I still believe Bamilcar would fail at his coup. Not that it would matter, it would still cause enough civil unrest to allow the Macedonians a foot in the door. Ah... poor Carthaginians, everything's falling into the Alexandrians' hands. Also in OTL, Agathocles performed the same maneuver, attacking Carthage on the mainland. He nearly succeeded in taking the city. With that slight Macedonian push, it becomes possible to conquer Carthage. No carthago delenda est here though... which makes me think that this place will eventually fall to a rebellion or a reconquista. Would the Macedonians thus give Carthage back, force them to pay tribute or some-such? Seems unlikely, with such an opportunity of taking Carthage itself, and the idea that they would only get Sardinia and Sicily from this war. Perhaps the other cities of the Carthaginian Empire, which were historically against one another, decide to cut their losses. With no Carthage, and thus no Empire, North Africa becomes an expanse of independent city-states, most are republics or oligarchies. Iberia seems the most likely to take on a large mass of refugees who want to continue the fight and reclaim the glory of the empire... They begin to expand through the peninsula with their famed mix of mercenary armies and large fleets. Perhaps they make an alliance with a young Roman Republic, who will soon be fighting the Macedonian Empire. Well, we'll see, later on, I guess.
