The Crisis of the Third Century-

I tried to create a timeline based on this premise, but it wasn't very good.

For the Gallic Empire:

One solution would be for Postumus to march on Rome in 268 when he had the chance and to name a successor. The former was one of the many reasons the army turned on him.

For the Palmyrene Empire:

This one is a bit trickier. Perhaps if Zenobia had used more diplomacy and trickery and less overt force to gain control of Egypt, Syria, Palestine and Anatolia. Even then, she'd cut off Rome's grain supplies and its trade with the East, neither of which the Romans took kindly to. Aurelian could lose the Battle of Antioch, but I'm not sure it would make much difference. Palmyra's territories were just too rich and important to be ignored.

All these are only short-term solutions. For both empires to survive, you'd have to physically restrain their enemies from trying to conquer them. Even without Aurelian, both empires had powerful enemies on their borders - the Germanic and nomadic tribes for the Gallic Empire and Sassanid Persia for Palmyra. The Palmyrenes had defeated the Persians before, but Sassanid Persia was like Rome - they would try again and again until Palmyra fell.

If I've left anything out, please let me know.
 
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