AHC: Diadochi Kingdoms keep expanding the Hellenistic sphere

raharris1973

Gone Fishin'
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How could we end up with the Diadochi successor kingdoms maximally expanding the boundaries of the overall Hellenistic sphere conquered by Alexander, instead of just fighting each other over the territories Alexander previously conquered.

I'd imagine Seleucids having a go at India or Central Asia, the Ptolemids going after Carthage, and a successor Kingdom in Europe going after Sicily, Italy, Illyria or Dacia.
 

Don Quijote

Banned
How could we end up with the Diadochi successor kingdoms maximally expanding the boundaries of the overall Hellenistic sphere conquered by Alexander, instead of just fighting each other over the territories Alexander previously conquered.

I'd imagine Seleucids having a go at India or Central Asia, the Ptolemids going after Carthage, and a successor Kingdom in Europe going after Sicily, Italy, Illyria or Dacia.
If Perdiccas can keep control over the rest of them, and maintain a united empire, then expansion is certainly possible. Assuming though that this POD is only after the empire has already split, it becomes harder due to the rivalries and the natural urge to fight for the original empire's territory rather than going elsewhere.

Ptolemies - if Ptolemy perhaps arranges a deal in which he becomes ruler of Egypt, but doesn't annoy everyone by running off with Alexander's body, he may be more inclined towards western adventures. I suspect the fear of a Seleucid attack in his rear may have reduced his willingness to commit large forces to a western campaign against Carthage.

Seleucids - if attacks on the other Diadochi are ruled out, then I'm not sure where the Seleucids can go, despite being the most powerful state. In India the rise of the Mauryan Empire makes expansion difficult, and Alexander's own difficulties show that such an invasion isn't to be taken lightly. Arabia is a possibility, but that would be limited to settlement along the coast, as there's nothing worth invading in the interior. Such settlement could however boost Greek trade with India, which is rather more beneficial than a military campaign anyway. Central Asia is also an option, and Seleucus might take up the Khwarezmid king's suggestion to Alexander of a campaign in the Caspian/Caucasus region.

Macedon - no shortage of barbarians, but it depends on whether the rulers see any value in expanding any further to the north. Italy might be more likely, if they decide to help Rome defeat the Samnites and avenge Alexander of Epirus (although whoever ends up ruling Macedon may have less of a connection to him, and hence less interest).
 
You probably need a fundementally different partition and breakup of the empire so they all aren't fighting each other. Or alternatively a tl where one Diadoch reunites the empire or enough of it (maybe disregard Persia since the expansion opportunities into India aren't really great).

Maybe if post-Alexander the empire had reformed into a sort of federation or league of warlords nominally under one monarchy. As was originally intended by everyone at Babylon. In the early days when it was still considered to be one empire, they were taking the chance to make small gains to expand the border/build their provincial powerbase outward into Cyrene, Cyprus, Cappadocia before things went tits up. Unfortunately when you needed a man of diplomacy and tact, Perdiccas was probably the worst possible choice to be regent.
 

Skallagrim

Banned
Short of having one person keep most of the Empire together, the best option is to have the wars result in a lot of the Diadochi dying early on. hardly impossible, since personally leading the troops in battle was very much their way of operating. The ideal situation is to end up with four successor states: one controlling the European parts of the empire and Anatolia, one countlling Persia, and one controlling Egypt, with a fourth and clearly weaker power occupying Syria and the Levant. The trick here is that this fourth one is a buffer between the others. None of them attack that one, because it would at once cause the other two to unite in opposition to such a campaign. The existence of this buffer similarly reduces the risks of attacks from behind, and thus opens up more chances for conquest by the three big powers.
 
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