AHC / WI : Armenian Dynasty of Persia

Dolan

Banned
It was said that during the time of Crassus' Eastern Campaign, the Artaxiad dynasty supported Rome in hope to gain lands and independence from Parthian overlordship.

Suppose that Crassus managed to avoid Sureena and sacked some Parthian cities, all while Artavasdes, King of Armenia, managed to defeat Orodes, King of Parthia, and pressed his luck by invading Persia proper and pressed Tigranes II's old claim on the Persian Throne.

Sure, there are Romans and they would definitely try to have a say in that matter, but then, Crassus might be satisfied with some Mesopotamian holdings while Artavasdes claimed the rest of Persia (and backstabbings isn't exactly unknown).

Let's say the Romans somehow get distracted over their alternate civil war, and Armenian dynasty of Persia end up sticking for a considerable amount of time. What will happen next?
 
Assuming your scenario happens, a surviving Crassus would probably cause dramatic changes regarding how things happened in the last days of the Roman Republic. If he survives, Pompey and Caesar might not turn on one another.

I'd say that there'd be some friction between Rome and Armenia-Persia.
 
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Well, the Armenians were pretty culturally distinct from Iran even at this relatively early stage, but the ruling dynasty would readily Persianize. The issues would lie more with how it’s likely Parthian successor states would continue to exist in the East (I can’t see Artavasdes making it all the way to Margiana or Bactria) and how the Iranians might not be fans of being ruled by a Roman “appointed” dynasty. I’d give good odds that the Artaxiad dynasty gets overthrown within a generation or two, likely conquered from the east.
 

Dolan

Banned
Well, the Armenians were pretty culturally distinct from Iran even at this relatively early stage, but the ruling dynasty would readily Persianize. The issues would lie more with how it’s likely Parthian successor states would continue to exist in the East (I can’t see Artavasdes making it all the way to Margiana or Bactria) and how the Iranians might not be fans of being ruled by a Roman “appointed” dynasty. I’d give good odds that the Artaxiad dynasty gets overthrown within a generation or two, likely conquered from the east.
Sure, the Parthian heartland is likely to be able to defend themselves, and the Parthian nobility is very likely to just pack on their horses and continue fighting from the steppe.

But yeah, let's say that Persian Urban centers did end up overtaken by Artavasdes-Crassus alliance. Sure, at this point, Artasvasdes would be more in line with starting as a Roman client, but then alternate Roman Civil War might still happen and Crassus' attention would soon be focused west.

Sure, as every dynasty, they will inevitably overthrow at a point, but what if they stay for a considerable amount of time?
 

jocay

Banned
Who's to say that the Armenian-run Persian Empire won't turn on Rome? After all, I doubt that anyone with that much territory and power and likely skeptical subject population would want to play second fiddle to Rome for too long. The Romans make for a better external enemy to unite the Persians with their Armenian masters than fellow Iranians.
 
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