How much could Pyrrhus conquer?

[Seleukeia]

Hey everybody! I came today to ask you guys the long-asked question on this forum one more time about just how far Pyrrhus could go in his schemes. I'd give a personal opinion of my thoughts on how far he could go but its rather late so I'll probably do so tomorrow instead.

 

[inawarminister]

Subreddit?

Anyway, if he's omni-competent, all of them. Just need to defeat each of the Diadochi in the fields again and again to destroy their legitimacy and enjoy governors after governors and armies swear to Pyrrhus.
If he's as OTL, but not dead to a random tile-throw by a woman in Sparte, probably all of Macedon's natural territory and more. Anatolia... Perhaps. I don't think Epirotes can contest Seleucid armies that still have access to steppe auxilaries and Iranian cataphracts though.

 

[Seleukeia]

Subreddit?

Anyway, if he's omni-competent, all of them. Just need to defeat each of the Diadochi in the fields again and again to destroy their legitimacy and enjoy governors after governors and armies swear to Pyrrhus.
If he's as OTL, but not dead to a random tile-throw by a woman in Sparte, probably all of Macedon's natural territory and more. Anatolia... Perhaps. I don't think Epirotes can contest Seleucid armies that still have access to steppe auxilaries and Iranian cataphracts though.

Subreddit is an indicator of my state at the time. A long day and extremely tired at the end of it, haha.

 

[Gloss]

Southern Italy, Sicily, Macedonia and the rest of Greece should be within his grasps within his lifetime, the rest less so.

 

[chornedsnorkack]

Why is "Rome" not an express option?

 

[Seleukeia]

Why is "Rome" not an express option?

Did he have the patience to actually conquer Rome? And would the Magna Graecians and Italian allies allow his centralizing policies for long enough to attack Rome?

 

[Arcavia]

Did he have the patience to actually conquer Rome? And would the Magna Graecians and Italian allies allow his centralizing policies for long enough to attack Rome?

And would Carthage tolerate so much Greek hegemony in its area of interest? Imagine the irony of Carthage saving Rome...

 

[Seleukeia]

And would Carthage tolerate so much Greek hegemony in its area of interest? Imagine the irony of Carthage saving Rome...

I dunno, the Carthaginians got their asses handed to them by the Greeks time and time again, including by Pyrrhus himself on the field, so if they lose Lilybaeum then they may just lose Sicily outright. Pyrrhus even considered an invasion of Africa itself when his siege of Lilybaeum failed, but the Syracusans wouldn't give him their ships. If he takes the city, and then invades Africa itself, he may ruin Carthage as well. Whether he is able to annex Tunisia or withdraws because something else draws his attention as usual or just decides to reduce Carthage to control of solely Tunisia itself instead of also Tripolitania, Algeria's coast, Tingitana, the Spanish coast, and the islands of the West Med, which become independent Phoenician cities, I do not know.

 

[Dathi THorfinnsson]

I like the idea of him getting all the way to the borders of Iberia. Giving great confusion as to the origin of the name for those mountains - folk etymology turns them into the Pyrrhenes....

 

[Tempered Zen]

Did he have the patience to actually conquer Rome? And would the Magna Graecians and Italian allies allow his centralizing policies for long enough to attack Rome?

Rome wasn't as powerful in this time. It was still fighting the Samnite Wars during this period.

 

[chornedsnorkack]

Pyrrhus took Praeneste, 40 km from Rome, and advanced 10 km more. At that point, Pyrrhus was suddenly informed of Etruscans having made peace with Rome. Coruncanius´ army was returning from Etruscan front and would be able to join Laevinus before Pyrrhus reached Rome.

A butterfly - delay the Etruscan peace a bit, and Pyrrhus crushes Laevinus and the city of Rome piecemeal, and allied with Etruscans crushes Coruncanius.

Would there be anybody on the side of Etruscans to give city of Rome to? Or would Pyrrhus be left by default to provide the governor and occupation garrison for city of Rome?