Hephaestion, Stateira, and the Whole Damn Mess

So this post is more of a what-if than my earlier ones; I've been humbled by my apparent lack of knowledge in certain subjects!

What If Hephaestion survives his sickness? Let's assume that he really had typhus, as some postulate, and that overeating (meaning just a small-average meal for a healthy person) upon near-recovery is what did him in; his doctor simply pays attention and doesn't let him eat so much, so he survives.

What If, then, Alexander the Great invites his wife Stateira (daughter of Darius), he sister Drypetis (wife of Hephaestion, daughter of Darius), and their mother Sisygambis to Babylon as a matter of course, before his planned invasion of Arabia.

Then, Alexander dies as in OTL.

What changes do you see, with Stateira carefully watched and possibly warned of Roxane's viciousness, and Hephaestion acknowledged by all as Regent (for Stateira's child, and Roxane's, and hell, depending on Meleager's actions, Philip Arridaios), his closeness to Alexander being well known.

This assumes that Stateira was carrying a male child, and that it was Roxane who poisoned her and not just some sickness. I think it can be taken for granted that Hephaistion will be universally acknowledged; Perdiccas wasn't too popular, and Alexander wasn't too close to him, and yet Peithon, Peukestes, Seleucus, Arybbas, and Eumenes (all powerful men) followed him into disaster on the Nile.

Also assume that Heracles of Macedon was an illegitimate pretender, with no ties to Alexander.
 
Hephaestion's going to run into some problems, just like Perdiccas did. Except this time, he might have Perdiccas as an enemy, and say what you want about Perdiccas, he proved to be a good schemer early on.

I can't remember if Hephaestion had any real military command experience. If he didn't then that is going to be a huge disadvantage with the troops. He could employ Perdiccas, using his friction with other important players like Ptolemy, Antipater, Crateros, and Antigonos, to his advantage. I still doubt Antigonos is going to like taking orders from him, and you will still end up with something resembling the loose alliance of Crateros, Antipater, Ptolemy, and Antigonos against the royalists this time lead by Hephaestion.

Though Hephaestion is still going to have problems in his own camp. If Perdiccas gets any independent command and does well, then he can cause trouble for Hephaestion. Perdiccas was smart to give the overral independent command for fighting off Crateros, Antigonos, and Antipater to the Greek Eumenes, who's entire status and position rested on aligning himself with Perdiccas and the royalist cause. Perdiccas has no such restrictions.


One more thing-it would be interesting to see if the other bodyguards/generals gathering in the throne room after Alexander's death accept Hephaestion as the regent. Ptolemy might be inclined to simply to deny it to Perdiccas who would be the next logical choice.
 
I'm thinking that, while Perdiccas will still be a dangerous and manipulative player, he'll stay on with Hephaestion and either bide his time or remain loyal. With Hephaestion surviving, Perdiccas doesn't become Chiliarch or leader of the Companion Cavalry. He has less time to insinuate himself into those leadership positions, and none of the rather free(-er) reign he had when Alexander was prostrated with mourning for Hephaestion.

Also, if the writings of and about Ptolemy are to be believed, he would have been a loyal satrap to somebody as honorable and conscious as Hephaestion. If Hephaestion can avoid initial infighting and make sure that Antipater comes to Babylon and the respected Craterus takes the regency in Europe, he might not even steal Alexander's funeral bier; then again, maybe he was just a self-serving bandit lord. Still, if he was a dishonorable bandit, it raises the question of why he didn't eventually claim the throne, seeing as he was Philip's (illegitimate) son.

As for Hephaestion's status as a soldier, he was often used by Alexander as a deputy to lead co-expeditions, pincer movements, sieges, and diplomatic expeditions; the soldiers, knowing that he was Alexander's best friend, would cling to him like glue. Half the Diadochs' trouble was having to act or seem like Alexander, and it was only Ptolemy and Seleucus that even moderately succeeded.

I think that if Alexander personally hands Hephaestion the seal ring, that quite seals the deal.
 
Thanks for clearing that up. I highly doubt Antipater would come to Babylon. There was little incentive for him to do so, and he risked losing everything if he did. He had every reason to remain in Macedon, and every reason to believe he would could harness the support of Craterus and Antigonus.

As for Ptolemy, he was a schemer and an amazing diplomat/politician, but he was also cautious when he needed to be. Stealing Alexander's corpse was a calculated move-he needed to provide legitimacy for his independent rule in Egypt (remember, he was the first to break away from the empire rather than joining the fight to control it). Nobody believed he was the illegitimate son of Phillip, so that claim would not really carry any weight. He also recognized that trying to control the whole empire was pointless and dangerous-Egypt instead offered an easily defensible core power base (Perdiccas learned that the hard way) from which he could create a buffer around by acquiring Palestine, Phoenicia, and Cyprus, along with a powerful navy.
 
Alright, that all makes sense.

Playing devil's advocate for Ptolemy here, though, Perdiccas was distantly related to the Argead line, and Ptolemy may have feared that Perdiccas would arrogate the entombment of Alexander from Philip Arriadaios; this would in some ways "legitimize" him as king. Along with his intention to marry Alexander's sister Cleopatra, I think that if Perdiccas had managed to do these things and decisively defeat Antipater and Craterus in battle, he could have become King of Macedon. The chances are slim.

As for the thread's original purpose: With Perdiccas at least temporarily sidelined, I don't think Alexander's funeral would have taken place anywhere but Babylon. Hephaestion more like than not had no wish to take the Macedonian throne, and would cheerfully deny Antipater, Craterus, Lysimachus, and Cassander any vestige of legitimacy. So Ptolemy's theft is butterflied.

In this way, the Wars of the Diadochi will become less who will be regent, than East vs. West. After his death, almost all Alexander's generals supported the old Macedonian ways. With Hephaestion in control, we might see a continuation of Alexander's policies, and a division between Old vs. New (Antipater, Cassander, Craterus, Antigonus vs. Hephaestion, ???Perdiccas???, Seleucus, Peukestes, Ptolemy, Nearchus).

Maybe. Or else it becomes a free-for-all as in OTL, but with Hephaestion being among the biggest players. I really do think the veterans would love him.
 
I don't see why he wouldn't want to send it to Macedon. That was where Argaed kings were buried, and Hephaestion would face a lot of pressure to send it there regardless of his personal ambitions. Keeping it in Babylon could be used against him.
 
It sure wouldn't turn the Asians (and more specifically the Mesopotamians and Persians) against him. The Diadochi Wars were fought by Macedonians for Macedonians because Alexander's Asian and mixed-Asian regiments quietly deserted when Alexander died and they saw what kind of a pro-Macedonian slapfest the Wars would be.

With Hephaestion claiming regency in Babylon, and all three potential kings (Stateira's son, Roxane's son, and Arridaios) in Babylon, and Alexander's body in Babylon, and a loyal body of Persians (due to ideology/respect, and Peukestes the Assimilator helping), and a loyal body of Macedonians (respecting Alexander's best friend and chosen Regent, no matter what), he'll be hard pressed to lose.

Keeping the body in Babylon could be used against him, but where? Among the older veterans who already have lives and families at home, who would dislike staying in Asia in any case. The younger Macedonians, and all the Asians, would be with Hephaestion all the way. The exiled Greek democrats in the army, too, would be with him, seeing as Antipater is the cause of their displacement.
 
It sure wouldn't turn the Asians (and more specifically the Mesopotamians and Persians) against him. The Diadochi Wars were fought by Macedonians for Macedonians because Alexander's Asian and mixed-Asian regiments quietly deserted when Alexander died and they saw what kind of a pro-Macedonian slapfest the Wars would be.

With Hephaestion claiming regency in Babylon, and all three potential kings (Stateira's son, Roxane's son, and Arridaios) in Babylon, and Alexander's body in Babylon, and a loyal body of Persians (due to ideology/respect, and Peukestes the Assimilator helping), and a loyal body of Macedonians (respecting Alexander's best friend and chosen Regent, no matter what), he'll be hard pressed to lose.

Keeping the body in Babylon could be used against him, but where? Among the older veterans who already have lives and families at home, who would dislike staying in Asia in any case. The younger Macedonians, and all the Asians, would be with Hephaestion all the way. The exiled Greek democrats in the army, too, would be with him, seeing as Antipater is the cause of their displacement.
It just gives the others a reason to go after him (not that they need a reason), and he would be missing a massive propaganda opportunity. Escorting the body in a grand procession all the way to Macedon would also cement his control there.

Besides, IIRC, it wasn't Perdiccas' sole decision to move the body to Macedon. I believe it was the decision of the entire council to do so. I haven't read up on Diadochi history in awhile though, so I don't take my word on that.
 
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