DBWI: What if Rome, instead of Carthage, had won the Latin Wars?

[danteheadman]

As we all know, the Roman and Carthaginian states fought the three "Latin Wars" nearly 2200 years ago. Carthage won, incorporated the city of Roman and all her holdings into the empire, and continued on to dominate the greater Mediterranean for centuries to come.

But what if Rome had won the wars? How would history have changed?

 

[dandan_noodles]

Rome would have had a much harder time entering the Greek East; Carthage had the benefit of its alliance with Macedon, while the Romans would have had to fight their way through another Great Power to have a presence in the East. The problems of sustaining expeditionary forces being what they are, a lone Rome would be badly outnumbered against the Seleukids in Asia Minor; if you compare the size of the Carthaginian contingent at the battle of Atarneus to the army of Antiochos, the disparity is more than 2-1. Without a Great Power as an ally, the Romans would be hard pressed to face the Hellenistic monarchies. The most likely scenario of a lost Latin War is the emergence of a bipolar Mediterranean world, dominated by the Seleukids in the East and the Romans in the West.

 

[Nephi]

The Romans were more of a militaristic land power, maybe they would have created a state strong enough to keep Europe from being conquered by the Mongols.

 

[Dolan]

The Romans were more of a militaristic land power, maybe they would have created a state strong enough to keep Europe from being conquered by the Mongols.

To be fair, Mongol* incursion that happened 1500-1600 years ago did ransacked European hinterland, but they can't really break the Canaanite Coastal Cities that still swear fealty to Kart-Hadast Thassalocracy.

Horse Archer Army might be tricky to fight out in the open, and could potentially starve-out fortresses as they camp outside, but anything that could be supplied by sea is nonviable for them.

* OOC: "Mongol" people actually descended from Proto-Mongol Asiatic Nomads, and they were only known as "Mongols" after The words "Mong-Orda" (Brave Court/Army/Horde), even the Huns sometimes describe themselves as 'Mong-ord', so it wasn't a stretch to said that this "Mongols" would emerge from Xiongnu-Gothic-Allanic invaders rather than the much, much later Khitan-Gokturk-Jurchen Nomads.

 

[Galba Otho Vitelius]

Well I certainly don't see the Romans embracing Christianity.

 

[Dolan]

Well I certainly don't see the Romans embracing Christianity.

seconded, the Romaioi were Hellenistic Polytheists, with local Latin names for Greek Gods.

They may conquer Yehuda, but unlike Kart-Hadast after conquering Egypt from the Ptolemaioi and taking their homeland of Tsur-Ea, the Romaioi has absolutely no reasons to try to suppress the Yehudan Religion and worship of Yahweh, while the Karthadastim, whose Pantheon centered on Baal-Melqart, has every reasons to supress "The Cult of Yahweh" because they are very hostile to any kind of Baal Worshippers.

Which absolutely backfired when governor Adonibal Kanelyon ordered the death of Yahwehist Preacher, Joshua bar Joseph by crucifixion. so close with the Baalist mob murders of Yahwehist High Priest, Joseph ben Caiaphas, which galvanized the two previously separate sub-sects of the Yahweh Cult.

Combination of Yehudan Rebellion AND the spread of Cult of Joshua ha Massiach toward the Hellenistic Kingdoms (hence the term Christians, for Joshua bar Joseph would be known as Iesous Christos in Greek), sealed the fall of Karthadastim.

The Combined Yehudan Revolts, and attack from Hellenistic Christians ended up breaking Karthadast domination in Mediterranea, paving the way to the dual Hegemony of Pergamon and Syrakousai.

With Romaioi, or even (obviously pre-conversion) Hellenes controlling Syria and supressing Yehudan religion, there will be no quick widespread of the Cult of Christos.

 

[Nephi]

Well I certainly don't see the Romans embracing Christianity.

What's Christianity?

 

[Anawrahta]

As we all know, the Roman and Carthaginian states fought the three "Latin Wars" nearly 2200 years ago. Carthage won, incorporated the city of Roman and all her holdings into the empire, and continued on to dominate the greater Mediterranean for centuries to come.

But what if Rome had won the wars? How would history have changed?

This is pretty vague imo. Would be appreciated if you explain what is Roman and what is a Latin?

 

[Johannes Parisiensis]

I think the Latins would have expanded more easily in Gaul, Germany and Britain.

 

[DanMcCollum]

I think the Latins would have expanded more easily in Gaul, Germany and Britain.

Possibly, their center of power was closer. Still, I'm not entirely sure. The Cathegians had a huge problem expanding their power out of the southern coast of Gaul. The Gaulish kingdom which arose in Central Gaul was too tough of a nut to crack and also too valuable of a trading partner. A hypothetical Roman Empire is going to have many of the same problems as Carthage did.

And if they can't make it through Gaul, they certainly aren't going to have any chance of reaching Britain! Im not entirely sure why you brought them up - they were so on the periphery of the Western World at the time and though Carthage traded with the Britons then never made any efforts st conquedt.

 

[KingOnTheEdge]

Possibly, their center of power was closer. Still, I'm not entirely sure. The Cathegians had a huge problem expanding their power out of the southern coast of Gaul. The Gaulish kingdom which arose in Central Gaul was too tough of a nut to crack and also too valuable of a trading partner. A hypothetical Roman Empire is going to have many of the same problems as Carthage did.

And if they can't make it through Gaul, they certainly aren't going to have any chance of reaching Britain! Im not entirely sure why you brought them up - they were so on the periphery of the Western World at the time and though Carthage traded with the Britons then never made any efforts st conquedt.

You forget that that particular thorn in carthage's ass was her own doing. Gaul before Carthaginian colonization efforts was comprised of hundreds of competing tribes. Carthage comes over with Phoenecian ideas of governence, kingship, and perhaps most importantly, a linking of crops that enable a population boom, but don't attempt a full on conquest for the immediate future.

By the time Gaul was seen as worthy of conquest it was too late.

Rome on the other hand, would cause that modernization far earlier and therefore have reason to conquer them. Or Gaulish raids become an issue and they conquer them to protect italy. And so it continues with Britain.