ACH: Rise of the Roman Persian Empire

I developed this new challenge: to develop a short TL where Rome managed in some way between Actium and 476 AD (so in Imperial age) to conquer and romanize Persia, and survived the most possible, better if until modern day. It can be still Zoroastrian or become Manicheist or Christian or what else, even Induist or Buddhist if it expands or be influenced by India, but not Islamic: it's the only condition to respect because Islamic invasion will means end of the Empire. Lastly, if you want you can let survive other Roman nations but is better if Roman Persia survived as only bearer of the Romanitas.

Enjoy it! ;)
 
So this is a more successful and luckier Crassus or....

I guessed more a successful Trajan or an expansions in Severian age, but my personal thoughts wer more Roman conquest of Persia during the crisis of the third century, so while the WRE and the ERE declined, a "PRE" risen...it's a paradox, but suggestive IMO.
 
Once read this as a suggestion in an AH book. The author claimed it could work well, since both cultures had some similarities (unfortunately, the only one I can remember is that both were very patriarchical).
 
I guessed more a successful Trajan or an expansions in Severian age, but my personal thoughts wer more Roman conquest of Persia during the crisis of the third century, so while the WRE and the ERE declined, a "PRE" risen...it's a paradox, but suggestive IMO.

Hm. Unless Persia gets the same treatment as the Dacians, I find it hard to imagine the Persians becoming so quickly Romanized.
 
Once read this as a suggestion in an AH book. The author claimed it could work well, since both cultures had some similarities (unfortunately, the only one I can remember is that both were very patriarchical).

If this is the scenario I'm thinking of (Which appeared in What If?), it was really more of Roman and Persian empires coexisting across the Aegean, due to the early death of Socrates.
 
Am I being stupid for thinking that there is completely no way (within realistic boundaries, of course) for the Roman empire to conquer the whole Persian empire?
 
I guessed more a successful Trajan or an expansions in Severian age, but my personal thoughts wer more Roman conquest of Persia during the crisis of the third century, so while the WRE and the ERE declined, a "PRE" risen...it's a paradox, but suggestive IMO.

Not likely. The Persians would take the first chance to revolt and in any case Persia is too much for the Roman emperor. Perhaps the western half but its still a massive commitment larger than anything previously attempted.
 
I am developing a TL about an Iranian Christian state that started out as a client state of the Byzantines, I think that fits on your description..
 
If Rome couldn't even Latinize the east how would they Latinize Persia? Or would Romanopersia speak Greek?
 
I'd say militar conquer is quite difficult, but cultural infiltration is possible.
After all the Parthians fully accepted the hellenic influence.
Persian Sassanids rose partially as an opposition to that (and remembering the good all times when the Shahinshah was lord and master and greeks where half-known faraway foreigners), but I wouldn't rule out the possibility of a repetition.
 
I'd say militar conquer is quite difficult, but cultural infiltration is possible.
After all the Parthians fully accepted the hellenic influence.
Persian Sassanids rose partially as an opposition to that (and remembering the good all times when the Shahinshah was lord and master and greeks where half-known faraway foreigners), but I wouldn't rule out the possibility of a repetition.

Not exactly. Revival of Iranian culture did start under the later Arsacid rulers.
 
Not exactly. Revival of Iranian culture did start under the later Arsacid rulers.

Still, the later Arsacids could do little to help with anything since they were pretty much collapsing. Even if they attempted to revive it the Sassanids are the sort of reactionaries you would expect if they feel that they need to revive their culture. The problem with the Parthians is that they had a feudal structure that wasn't conductive to cultural unity.
 
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