No Ides of March: Consequences for the Parthian War

OS fan

Banned
Mr. Giorgios, unfortunately I am lacking the time to answer you right now in detail, but be assured that I will do so tomorrow.

Until then, here is what I wrote up yesterday:

44 BC, Ides of March: Assassination of Caesar prevented, because the conspiracy was discovered in time. The leaders of the conspiracy are executed, and their cause suffers a great setback, for daring to spill blood in the Roman senate, a sacrilege.

44 BC: Caesar attacks the Getes and Dacians who have crossed the Danube, putting Greece in danger. After the first defeats, Dacian king Burebista is assassinated, his army and empire break down, and Moesia and Thracia come under Roman control. Caesar goes further east, raises more legions. (Additionally to the ten he brought, he now has sixteen to attack the Parthians.) Caecilius Bassus in Syria is defeated.

The Roman empire is reorganized: The new conquests, the Roman satellites (like Armenia and Egypt) and the provinces of Rome (that is, everything but Italy) are reorganized as a kingdom under Caesar, with Octavian as his heir and Antiochia as a capital. This is justified by an old prophecy that only a king can defeat the Parthians, and the Roman people, wanting revenge for Carrhae, accept it. Many Roman senators are enraged, but don't dare to challenge Caesar. Rome and Italy keep the old republican constitution, but are still under Caesar's control, who is now revered as a living god.

Another new law allows Caesar to take several wives, since his wife Calpurnia is too old now to give him a son, and Caesar secretly doubts that Octavian might be perfectly able to lead the empire.

Carthage and Corinth are re-founded as Roman settler colonies, for Caesar's veterans.

43 BC: Armenia is occupied, returns to the Roman sphere of influence. Caesar occupies north-western Parthia, which is covered with several legion camps. Arbela taken, Caspian Sea reached. More than half of his troops come from the East (Asia Minor, Syria etc.)

Another new law legitimizes Caesar's marriage with Cleopatra (who still lives in Rome), and thus his son Caesarion. He takes a third wife, from Syria.

Several bigger construction projects started (digging a canal at the isthmus of Corinth, building a new street for the military on Italy, drying the Pontine swamps).

42 BC: After hard fights, Caesar manages to take Ekbatana on the Silk Road. He learns about the religions of the East, like Zoroastrianism. The area south of the Caspian Sea secedes from the Parthian Empire, sides with Caesar.

41 BC: Caesar manages to get support by a part of the Zoroastrian clerics who decide that Caesar is the better defender of their faith. The Roman legions advance south, reaching the Persian Gulf, cutting the Parthians in two. Persis proper declares independence, allies with the Romans. The Parthian Empire breaks down.

Caesar's second son from his Syrian wife, Gaius Julius Caesar Syriacus, is born. He marries his fourth wife, from a Parthian family.

40 BC: Caesar mops up Mesopotamia, bringing the whole area under his control. Caesar adds Parthian cavalry to his troops. The fights in the East end, with Caesar's troops having reached the Bactrian border. On the Persian gulf, harbors and docks are built, to create a fleet.

Caesar's new daughter from his fourth wife, Julia Parthiana, is born.

39 BC: Caesar returns to Rome, for the first time in five years. His triumph for defeating the Parthians is the greatest one ever seen in the city. His new wives stay in the East.

38 BC: Octavian reaches majority age. Caesar and Cleopatra's daughter Julia Cleopatra is born. At this time, however, Caesar already has left for the East again, planning to cross the Caucasus.

37 BC: After crossing the Caucasus, Caesar's troops sweep the plains between Black and Caspian Sea. When they reach the Rha (Volga) river, it becomes obvious however that the old belief - that the Caspian Sea is but a bay of the oceanos encompassing the whole world - is wrong. Caesar has a personal crisis, confronted with the situation that he's unable to conquer the whole world as planned, despite being the most able leader of the strongest empire. Meanwhile one of Caesar's generals has conquered the small Arabian states at the Gulf, adding the province of Carrhaea to the empire. The area between Tanais (Don) and Volga also is reorganized as part of the empire. At the site of Astrachan, a Roman colony is founded.

Caesar's son from his fourth wife is born, Gaius Julius Caesar Parthiacus.

36 BC: While in winter quarters in the former Bosporan empire, Caesar dies of exhaustion. Octavian inherits the empire. His legions pressure him to continue the conquest, and he is not the kind of man who could stop them.

35 BC: Roman troops cross into Dacia from two sides, crushing the resistance. The area south and east of the Carpathians is added to the empire, which now encompasses the Black Sea. But then, news from Rome arrive: After hearing about Caesar's death, Caesar's widow Calpurnia has sided with oppositional senators and formed a conspiracy. Cleopatra and her children were killed. Caesar's followers are enraged and want revenge.

34 BC: Rome is reconquered, and the conspirators including Sextus Pompeius, Calpurnia and Cicero are brought to death. Octavian proclaims peace.

34-31 BC: Octavian restores order in the empire. But new conflicts are growing: There are still Romans who don't like the oriental influence, the many foreigners who joined the legions and the Senate. Octavian's wife Livia pressures him to side with the Romans. And then, there are Caesar's other widows and sons.

30 BC: Octavian returns to Antiochia, hinting that he wants to make several reforms: Disbanding several legions, stopping the wars, restoring the position of Rome and Italy (as opposed to the Empire) and even laying down part of his powers. This is against the wishes of his new subjects from the east, and the discontent people start to rally around Caesar's widows and sons, against Octavian and Livia.

Chinese emissaries arrive in the Empire. Contact between the two empires via the Silk Road begins.

29 BC: When Octavian proclaims that he wants to leave Antiochia for Rome, the palace revolt breaks out. Octavian and Livia are killed, Syriacus proclaimed new emperor.

28 BC: Rome occupied by Syriacus' troops. Tiberius, "the last Roman", executed. The Senate is disbanded and replaced by a smaller, more loyal and effective institution. Aramaic becomes official language of the empire, together with Latin and the Greek koine. A new calendar started, which uses 44 BC (Caesar's empire) as its Year One. While the city of Rome keeps the privilege of being un-taxed, and the cult of the Caesar tolerates the old religion and acknowledges it with the cult of "Jupiter Julius", the influence of the Roman religion, the Greco-Roman culture and the Latin language wanes faster than in our time. Italian veterans settle in the new eastern provinces, eastern veterans in the old west, even Italy proper; but for some reason, the East seems more successful assimilating the new settlers than the other way round.

27 BC: Parthiacus starts his education as a priest which solves the question of what to do with him. He starts the dynasty of the high priests of the Empire's cult.

26-16 BC: Various campaigns add Mauretania, the rest of Hispania, Pannonia and other areas south of the Danube, but especially the whole Arabian coast to the empire. A colony on Sokotra founded, among many other places.

23 BC: Syriacus marries a Persian princess, binding this half-independent country closer to the empire. Later, he will take three more wives (one from Rome, one from Spain, one from Greece) - following Caesar's example. His half-brother Parthiacus will also restrict himself to four wives, as later emperors and high priests will do.

21 BC: Syriacus' first son Gaius Julius Caesar Persicus born and proclaimed heir.

18 BC: Syriacus' second son of his Persian wife born. He bears the name Gaius Julius Caesar Arabicus.

12-9 BC: The remains of the Parthians in NE Iran / SW Turkestan defeated and conquered. This is the first campaign done by the empire in which the majority of the troops never have known Caesar or Octavian other than from stories.

9-1 BC: The empire expands along the Silk Road into Central Asia, reaching the Aral Sea.

7 BC - 4 AD?: Jesus, son of Joseph, is not born. This is admittedly hard to accept for any reader who respects Jesus. But I guess it is unavoidable after so many changes in the history of the Middle East.

2 BC: The first imperial delegation leaves for China, but vanishes in the chaos brought during the last years of the western Han dynasty.

1 BC - 28 AD: Syriacus solidifies his empire. While there are setbacks during his reign, like an attack of Germanics in 9 AD, various more from Scythian and inner Asian steppe people, and a palace revolt in 5 AD killing his heir Persicus, he can hold the young empire together and defend its borders.

First century BC to second century AD: Various new religions form in the Middle East, which are tolerated by the Empire, as long as they accept the emperor. Monasteries and nunneries founded by the most pious people. New cult places built in a more oriental style. Urn burials replaced more and more by sarcophagi. From time to time, there are clashes between followers of the old pagan (Greco-Roman and Celtic) paganism and the oriental cults. The Caliph-like position of the emperors as worldly rulers and protector of the faith becomes stronger, despite resistance from the western parts.

10 AD: Arabicus' son Pannonicus born.

28 AD: Gaius Julius Caesar Arabicus becomes the fourth emperor. He is the first emperor who speaks Aramaic as his native language.

29-34 AD: It comes as a surprise to many, but Arabicus decides to attack the barbarian north instead of expanding east - he wants to finish what his grandfather (that is, Caesar) started. The Markomannians are attacked and defeated; Bohemia, Hungary and Transsylvania join the empire.

31 AD: Death of high priest Parthiacus. His son Syriacus (not to be confused with his half-uncle, the late emperor) takes over.

33 AD: Pannonicus' heir Gaius Julius Caesar Antiochus born.

35-38 AD: Germania west of the Albis (Elbe) river conquered. The emperor gets prevented from his dream to conquer Britannia too, however.

40 AD: The census for the empire is finished. There are 75 million people in the empire, one third of which live in Europe and Africa (except Egypt).

44 AD: The old pharaonic canal between the Nile river and the Red Sea is restored, connecting the Mediterranean with the Indian Ocean. It is maintained by slave work.

50 AD: Death of Arabicus, Pannonicus becomes fifth emperor. A Chinese delegation (now from the Eastern Han dynasty) is present at the day of his crowning.

51 AD: Another imperial delegation leaves for China, returning eight years later with wonderful stories about the far eastern empire.

52-66 AD: Pannonicus has his generals fight various campaigns in Bactria, which become very troublesome for the tribes of Afghanistan. He is the first emperor who prefers to stay in the palace. Finally, the area officially becomes part of the empire, which now borders India. The Yuechi tribe is expelled from Bactria, going to India where they found the empire of Kushana.

60 AD: Antiochus' son Chasaricus born.

67 AD: Pannonicus assassinated by a Bactrian slave, Antiochus becomes sixth emperor.

68-70 AD: Various uprisings against Antiochus in Gaul, Hispania and Palestine defeated.

74 AD: The Imperial fleet takes over Taprobane / Ceylon and the small states in southern India, like Kerala.

75 AD: Chasaricus' first son Antiochus born.

79 AD: Eruption of Mt Vesuvius, destruction of Pompeii.

82 AD: Birth of Gaius Julius Caesar Armenicus.

91 AD: Permanent Imperial post on Zanzibar founded.

102 AD: Death of Antiochus, Chasaricus becomes seventh emperor.

108 AD: Chasaricus starts a war with Han China over some areas in Central Asia which both empires claim. At the same time, he has to defend the northern border of the empire, which is more successful.

114 AD: Gaius Julius Caesar Egypticus born.

119 AD: A group of merchant-adventurers who trade with India who are unhappy about the costly war with China conspire with Chasaricus' third son Armenicus and his mother against his father. After some war crimes of Chasaricus are brought to the ears of the current high priest Persicus, he joins them. Chasaricus is killed with several of his sons and wives (including the empress and the heir), Armenicus becomes eighth emperor. He immediately makes peace with China.

120 AD: The merchant-adventurers, with support from the new emperor, start travelling further east.

120-160 AD: The age of discovery. Imperial ships discover Madagascar, Mozambique with its gold, the straights of Malacca. It culminates when Imperial ships arrive in the harbor of Canton.

124-129 AD: The empire conquers the western half of Kushana, which becomes the first Indian province. Other than the rest of the empire, India isn't truly assimilated; it stays a Hindu/Buddhist land reigned by a foreign minority.

130 AD: First border clashes with Kshatrapa.

132-139 AD: Kshatrapa beaten. The empire now controls the whole Indus valley, undisputed.

136 AD: Gaius Julius Caesar Antiochus II born.

154 AD: Armenicus dies, Gaius Julius Caesar Egypticus becomes ninth emperor.

161 AD: Egypticus forced to abdicate by his nephew Antiochus II, the tenth emperor.

162/63 AD: A short campaign in Africa adds Nubia to the empire, which now reaches to the area of Khartoum.

166-74 AD: Antiochus II lays waste to the Indian kingdoms of Kushana, Kshatrapa and Shatavahana.

180-190 AD: Various Germanic tribes attack the north of the empire, forcing Antiochus to stop the Indian campaign.

192 AD: When on visit in Rome, Antiochus II is assassinated by a group of Roman nobles, together with his heir. This creates a short crisis.

193 AD: Under the watch of the imperial high priest Syriacus II, a cousin of Antiochus II (who originally became a priest and was supposed to stay so), becomes the new emperor Joseph - not coincidentally the first one officially bearing a non-Latin name.

194 AD: Rome loses its tax privileges; the old religion, which has become more and more meaningless, is suppressed, as is the Latin language.

195-200 AD: Order in India restored. The country is reorganized in several imperial provinces, which keep their cultural identity however.

201 AD: Emperor Joseph founds the first university (so to speak) in Antiochia. During his reign, several more are founded in Alexandria, Byzantion, Ktesiphon, Persepolis and (Armenia).

223 AD: Joseph dies at the high age of 82 years, the oldest emperor so far. He is succeeded by his grandson Joseph II (* 199 AD).
 
Thanks for putting the timeline up.

I think the main issue I have is that I find it hard to accept that the Roman Empire would transform into an Oriental/Aramaic Empire so quickly. Romans were notorious for their distrust of foreigners, particularly in the Late Republic/Early Principate where your POD comes into play. Caesar's leadership might somewhat stifle opposition, but only when he is alive. After his death the Senate and traditional aristocracy will not accept his 'foreign' heirs. I see the Empire fracturing and disintegrating very quickly.
 

OS fan

Banned
The question is: Which Romans? Under the leading families, the traditionalists, definitely. But would the Roman people, many of which were slaves or liberated slaves or their descendents, really care? The little people loved Caesar. Even more so when they inherited from his wealth. And if the Roman senators had not cared about the masses: Who would have dared to lead an army against the Caesarian troops?

But now I will answer Mr. Giorgios' questions.

"That same Graeco-Roman culture that thrived until, at the very earliest estimate of its death, somewhere around 700AD?"

Why the year 700?

But besides, let us take a look at the developments. How much do the ancient Greeks (who built temples, adorned their cities with statues and revered a pagan pantheon) have in common with the Byzantine Greeks (who were Christians and created basilicas and icons)? The name of the people hadn't changed, neither the territory (although the schwerpunkt moved eastwards), the language not much - not as much as in earlier centuries, I dare to say - and there even is a biological/genetical connection (although we shouldn't forget that many Slavs and Semites changed their names when they received Roman citizenship). But beneath the surface, the culture changed. Look at the later emperors who styled themelves "dominus et deus". Diocletian had the worldly power of an emperor and was the head of the state religion - a religion that considered Christianity an enemy which had to be fought with fire and sword. He was a Caliph in all but name.

"I'm pretty sure the legions remained exclusively citizen armies until the third century. Do you have any sources that'd back up that Caesar supported allowing non-citizens to fight in the legions?"

Ed. Meyer states that Caesar added (as early as in the war in Gaul) many Transpadanians (who weren't Roman citizens yet) to his legions, and also many Gauls during the Civil War. Technically, they became Roman citizens later, but one can't deny that he stretched the laws for this, or broke them to fix them with an act later, when he had absolute power.

"You have a very rosy view of the Caliphate, to say the least, if you think it was a jot less oppressive than the Romans or Persians."

This is not what I intended to say. My point is: As said, the old Greco-Roman culture was as different from the young Middle Eastern culture(s) as (for example) Britain from India.

There have been worse regimes than the British rule in India. But whenever one culture reigns over a culture as different as in said cases, not only will misunderstandings happen; their different paradigms simply make an agreement impossible. There have been many oppressed people in history; but in cases like this, not only is the oppression hated - it doesn't even make sense.

If Caesar had successfully created an empire like this, there may - no, would have been oppression too. But the development of the Middle Eastern culture, art, science, economy and law could have happened without half of its people being hampered by the Roman empire which did not understand them.
 

OS fan

Banned
The rough future. Split of the empire. Aramaization.

Now I am not sure whether I want to waste more time on this story, but you shall know what I had imagined about later times of this world.

Even with a truly legendary founder, and with two dynasties (one imperial, one of high priests) supporting each other one should not expect that this empire would last forever. No matter how one organized it, there would be noble vassals in the provinces. A nobility would develop. Given some time, the legions would turn into feudal armies - similar as in our Byzantine Empire, but probably earlier. And once there are universities (for lack of an authentic term) outside the capital, the gap between the provinces would grow - because scholars from different regions would have different religious and cultural preferences, and ambitious governors could use them for their own purposes. A capital in Antiochia

Finally, the empire would fall apart, at least de facto. I imagined successor states in Greece (incl. Asia minor and southern Italy), Egypt/North Africa, Arabia, Central Asia and Bactria/India. The edges of the empire might even fall to barbarian groups.

(Note however that these subdivisions might be rather geographical, not in regard to the language. With the Middle Eastern population growing faster and the old populations in the west shrinking, and the unified empire allowing easy population exchange, at least Greece, Italy and North Africa might be Aramaized in a few centuries.)
 
I have an on-hiatus TL with this exact POD. In my TL Brutus tells Caesar about the conspiracy against him. Caesar does not punish them, but does keep Antony in Rome to keep them under control and warned them that he would not be so merciful the next time if they tried anything funny.

Caesar goes over to the East, gets lucky when King Pacorus dies in the battle, and takes Mesopotamia as Parthia falls into civil war. The new king sues for peace so he can concentrate on consolidating power.

While Caesar gets ready to return Antony drops dead from too much drinking and the city of Rome erupts in factional fighting between pro-Caesar and anti-Caesar gangs.

Caesar comes back, the Usual Suspects flee, are cornered in Sardinia, and pulled a Cato, killing themselves.

Caesar reforms the government and the provincial administration and confirms Caesarion's position in Egypt

Caesar dies in his 80s, Octavian takes over as the new Dictator Purpetuus (in the OTL the office of Dictator was abolished after Caesar was assassinated).



In my TL I will have the Empire fall apart during this TL's equivalent of the Crisis of the 3rd Century, breaking up into several successor states. I also will have the western part of the Empire become Buddhist. :D
 
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