So, in an ATL where Rome's start is stalled, could Massalia achieve much the same thing?
And how?
And how?
Massalia as Rome
- Thread starter The Professor
- Start date
Ah, I see the similarity of name! Does that mean it was Greek, rather than Celtic or Latin? I could go and look all this up but I find "Wikipedia says" is not really a great discussion!
Best Regards
Grey Wolf
NOTE - I'm not having a go at this thread, or challenge, just pointing out that I don't have the knowledge to partake usefully in it, and quite possibly many of the people who might try to will only be able to because they've gone off to do a quick 5-minutes briefing on what Massalia was from Wikipedia. I'm not dissing it as a quick reference source, but it seems a bit odd to conduct arguments based on that little research, hence why I'm not going to do it
Ah, I see the similarity of name! Does that mean it was Greek, rather than Celtic or Latin? I could go and look all this up but I find "Wikipedia says" is not really a great discussion!
Best Regards
Grey Wolf
NOTE - I'm not having a go at this thread, or challenge, just pointing out that I don't have the knowledge to partake usefully in it, and quite possibly many of the people who might try to will only be able to because they've gone off to do a quick 5-minutes briefing on what Massalia was from Wikipedia. I'm not dissing it as a quick reference source, but it seems a bit odd to conduct arguments based on that little research, hence why I'm not going to do it
I don't claim to be a specialist on the Greek colonies, but I do know off the top of my head that Massalia was a Greek colony centered on what is now the city of Marseille but which exercised economic control over much of the hinterland. It was an important member of the pre-Roman expansion Mediterranean trade network, as anything that came from Gaul went through them. Hope that helps.
EDIT: But since when did skimming Wikipedia in one tab and posting on the forum in the other taboo? That depth of historical knowledgeable is what this entire community rests on.
I'm not so sure how Massalia could become the ATL Rome. If I'm not mistaken, they needed protection from Rome at one point just to survive.
elkarlo
Banned
The Celts in Italy were abit geographically separated Gaul, and I believe that the Alps kept larger and more Celtic raids from happening.
ITYM Massillia.
Not likely. Much smaller city, not in central location; not tied to its surrounding countryside. (Greek city, Gaulish country).
Massilia is the Roman name for the Greek colony of Massalia.
But agreed, they'd need a larger population
Interesting. So the only thing holding Massalia back is population?
So we get a larger Massalia but not an empire.
Could we see a later Norman Conquest type thing by the Gauls and use that to create an Imperium?
So we get a larger Massalia but not an empire.
Could we see a later Norman Conquest type thing by the Gauls and use that to create an Imperium?
I think considering the massive Gallic population, Massalia would surely be assimilated by them. If you have a more populous Massalia with better technology, they could possibly be the "Normans" in this scenario and bring a couple of tribes under their control in southern Gaul and Liguria. The problem would be how they would deal with the larger tribes, like the Arverni, Allobroges, and Volcae