AHC: Massalian Empire

How might we get a scenarion where the greek colony of Massalia controls a large amount of territory, a la Carthage? Moreover, can they expand inland, as well? Might a Celtic leader conquer the city, and have the two peoples gradually merge? Could we get a situation in which there is a three-way conflict between Rome, Carthage, and Massalia?
 
How might we get a scenarion where the greek colony of Massalia controls a large amount of territory, a la Carthage? Moreover, can they expand inland, as well? Might a Celtic leader conquer the city, and have the two peoples gradually merge? Could we get a situation in which there is a three-way conflict between Rome, Carthage, and Massalia?

Antiquity's Massalia had the same issue than medieval Marselha. The city "turn its back to Provence" : being geographically exclaved from the country side, it couldn't really expand within, preventing the appearance of a "core" base as Carthage did with Africa.

The city was then extremly dependent of trade and neighbouring emporiae, and while Marseilles does had an important regional power (see map) it's a thalassocracy more than Carthage was. Almost all the countryside was at the hands of Celto-Ligurs tribes and critically the "Salyan federation" that became more and more annoying for Marseilles.

So, for your questions :

1) Really hard. Greek of Marseilles were a minority in the region, more or less isolated in Gaul (except with the colonies it dit created) and was neighbour of powerful federations, as well close to the great power of western Mediterranea whatever Carthage or Rome.

2) Only at the expense of their thalassocratic power, that was the very fundation of their power in first place. OTL they were more of a soft power for inland matters, and I don't think exchanging a great commercial power against inland posessions would have been worth of.

3) No. Really, no. Marseilles even if more powerful inland (let's assume they take the southern half of Provence up to Durance and Glanon (and that would be really unlikely) it wouldn't be strong enough to support rivalries of great powers.

4) OTL you had a Celto-Ligur population in Marseilles that quickly hellenized, and the city soft power managed quite well to influence Celto-Ligurs or Iberians even in the lands they had.
In Glanon, a Salyan town, you find many occurence of greek features (temple decoration greek-style, bouleuterion, dromos, etc), or a greek influence in Enserune (while less present than in Glanon, that is admittedly remarkable in this regard)

Now, having Salyan (I can't think of another possible conqueror) conquering Marseilles is maybe doable, but unlikely. In the "best" of case, they would have pulled a Brennus and made the city their tributary.

And they'll have to manage to military defeat a city that was ravitailed and reinforced by sea. Granted Salyan were pirates and able to annoy Massaliot fleet, but let's be serious about their compared naval power, shall we :)
 
Top