Granicus River POD

Here's another idea for a POD that I thought up of: Alexander the Great was almost killed at the Battle of the Granicus River but he was saved by one of his bodyguards right in the nick of time. Let's say the bodyguard doesn't come in time and the lucky Persian soldier kills Alexander. Discuss the consequences if:

A) The Macedonians still win in OTL.

B) The Persians defeat the encroaching Macedonian army.
 
Either way, the Macedonians aren't going to do anything like what Alexander did iOTL. At the Granicus, they only fought the local satraps' forces; Darius hadn't brought up his army yet. (iOTL, they met at Issus in southeastern Asia Minor.) If they lose, they retreat back into Thrace and I don't think much happens. If they win, I imagine they'd liberate the Greek-settled coastlands (if they don't retreat amid a succession struggle and Greek revolts) and not much more.

There was an essay in the "What If?" book which spun an interesting story of a Persian Empire surviving until Roman times, while Greek culture and philosophy almost entirely perishes.
 
In the forward to one of his later novels, Arthur C. Clarke discusses this, and I agree with his conclusion. In short, if Rome wasn't butterflied away, (Which it probably would) than he claimed that there would be an interesting duality between the two patriarchal, duty focused societies.
 
I am going to assume Philip III Arrhidaeus would be next in line to take the line, would I be correct? I understand he has mildly retarded as he became ruler, making him a rather ineffective king in practice but serving the role of a figurehead, a pawn of whichever general that takes the chances to influence the young lad. I suspect Alexander's mother Olympias may conspire to have Philip murdered and find someone suitable for her interests to take the Macedonian throne.
 
From what I heard, Arrhidaeus was more than slightly mentally handicapped. And I completely agree- if OTL Olympia would kill her own grandson in order to try and take power, I wouldn't put anything past her.
And I've heard she killed Arrhidaeus also, after Alexander IV died.
 
From what I heard, Arrhidaeus was more than slightly mentally handicapped. And I completely agree- if OTL Olympia would kill her own grandson in order to try and take power, I wouldn't put anything past her.

She killed Alexander IV? I thought that was Cassander's doing.

And I've heard she killed Arrhidaeus also, after Alexander IV died.

Likely to me. She never got over being snubbed over by Philip.
 
Top