The Hellenistic Achaemenid Empire

So this is going to be a thread about where Persia takes over Greece but Helenic culture becomes dominant along with Greek Science and religion
 
Map of the world circa 550 AOC/0 CE
(AOC means after our creation)(Our creation is the creation of the persian empire)
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MIDDLE EAST
Blue-Persian Empire
EVERYWHERE
Light Blue-Persian Vassals
AFRICA

North Africa

Gold-Berbers
Yellow-Carthage

East Africa

Light Pink-Axum
EAST ASIA

Northeast Asia

Grey-Mongols/Manchurians
Pink-Korea
Dark pink-Ainu

China

Extremely Dark Green-Qin Dynasty
Light green-Wu Dynasty
Light Barf green-Chu Dynasty
Green-Qi Dynasty
Trash Green-Jin Dynasty
SOUTH/SOUTHEAST ASIA AND INDONESIA

Indonesia

Navy Blue-Malay
Medium Grey blue- Java
Darker Grey Blue-Ayutthaya Kingdom

India

Light grey-Kalinga Kingdom
Grey Blue Saka Empire
EUROPE

North Europe

light grey-Slavic Tribes
Purple-Danish Kingdom
Light Purple-Germanic Kingdom
Greyish Purple-Scandinavian/German Tribes
Darkest Purple-Saxon Kingdom of Briton
Dark Purple-East Germanic Tribes/Danish Vassal tribes
AquaMarine-Celtic Tribes

West Europe

Red-Roman Republic
Light Red-Roman Gaulic Satellite State
Dark Red-Roman Iberian Vassal State
 
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IOTL, why didn't something like this happen?

Persia didn't conquer Greece, but Greece conquered Persia, and Alexander seems to have been aiming for a hybrid Hellenized Persian empire. And the Seleucids did wind up running something like that for almost two centuries.
 
Persian culture was just as influential as Hellenistic culture so rather than a Hellenistic Achaemenid Empire, you would get a Perso-Hellenistic Achaemenid Empire. There actually is already a TL about this called Μηδίζω! The World Of Achaemenid Hellas. It’s a TL where the Achaemenid Empire conquers the Hellenistic world and, ironically, becomes more Hellenistic as a result.
 
75 AOC/473 B.C.E Xerxes was taking a stroll around the province of Thrace when he met a young man named Achilles. Xerxes was still extremely anti-Greek, but this Greek boy showed enormous understanding of philosophy and how to run an empire In particular, unlike most of the province he bowed to his emperor and showed respect. Achilles for all his loyalty seemed to be admired by his city and had the personality that defined an emperor. In addition, Achilles could speak Greek and Persian. Xerxes took this as a blessing in disguise from Ahura Mazda. He could take Achilles under his wing and once Achilles had been successfully Persianized and trained, he could put him on the throne. This would leave Persia with a capable successor and one that the Greeks might allow to be their ruler. In addition, he had a young and beautiful sister that could be marred off to the Greeks in exchange for them joining the empire. He decides to talk to Achilles.

Xerxes "Boy you may rise, tell me your name."

Achilles "I would be honored to tell you my name, Emperor Xerxes. I am called Achilles, what do you wish of me?"

Xerxes(In a Palpatine voice) "Achilles you have talent and loyalty that I didn’t think any Hellene could have, I would like you to come with me so that I may adopt you and make you my heir-with your consent of course."

Achilles "I would be honored my lord but to do this and leave my friends, and besides in Persepolis, no one is of my race and worships my gods.

Xerxes "To be a ruler you must be a Zoroastrian and forget your gods anyways,also by now your friends probably hate you for talking to me and you will become an outcast here.”

Achilles "Okay, I will come but no matter what I will not become a Zoroastrian, I shall believe in my gods until i die."

Xerxes "Fine you may continue your belief in your gods."

84 AOC/466 B.C.E Xerxes thinks "For 9 years I have trained him and nurtured his potential, and if I die at this moment, he shall be a far greater ruler than I ever was."

"However even after nine years he still refuses to forget his gods, no matter how much I try to convince him, and has even gone as far as to convince palace members to worship his gods,I must call him here immediately," Xerxes says to his messenger. "Bring Achilles here so I can talk to him.”

The training room:

Achilles “Hmph you guys are easy, I thought that 12 palace guards would be a challenge.”

Messenger “Achilles, ShahanShah Xerxes has asked for you.”

Xerxes yelling from the throne room “Stop Artabanus, I thought you were loyal!”

Achilles “We must help him!”

The Throne Room

Achilles “Yield assassin, for I shall defend my Emperor with my life and you are no match for me.”

Artabanus “Fine, I yield, it would be suicide to face you.”

Achilles “Tell me who put you up to this and I shall spare your life.”

Artabanus “I was to assassinate Xerxes then when you were crowned ShahanShah assassinate you to so Artaxerxes would become ShahanShah.”

Xerxes “So my son Artaxerxes did it?”

Artabanus “No it was also Darius who assisted.”

Xerxes “So both my sons wanted me and Achilles dead.”

Artabanus “Yes”

Xerxes “Call them over here immediately, while we pretend to be dead.”

Artabanus “Darius and Artaxerxes, I have killed you father and Achilles, so one of you may be emperor.”

Darius “What, kill this traitor as I am now Shahanshah!”

Artaxerxes “What about me.”

Darius “You shall die.”

Achilles “No, you shall die.”

Darius “You are alive?!”

Achilles “Yes and you shall not be anymore along with Artaxerxes for your crimes against the empire.”

100 AOC/450 B.C.E Xerxes has died and Achilles has become emperor. One of his first acts was to annex the Greek city-states who were happy to be part of this new "Hellenized" Persian empire(that or Achilles forcefully took them over, we shall never know :) ) Next he declared the state religion to be Hellenism instead of Zoroastrianism. He also expanded the empire into the Caucasus regions and into India and central Asia. He put philosophy and technology at the top of the list and expanded the empire's navy while building a canal to connect the red sea and Mediterranian sea. He also took the Greek city of Byzantium and renamed it into Poseidonoplis and revitalized it.

Created by me edited by Sadfahlsdj
 
IOTL, why didn't something like this happen?

Persia didn't conquer Greece, but Greece conquered Persia, and Alexander seems to have been aiming for a hybrid Hellenized Persian empire. And the Seleucids did wind up running something like that for almost two centuries.
It did happen. Hellenistic influence endured even into the Parthian era.
 
Second entry

114 AOC/436 B.C.E

Achilles leisurely strolled through his courtyard, wondering about the empire that he, a young Hellene from Thrace, had been able to inherit. Achilles pondered over his most recent changes and of philosophers like Socrates. He wondered how loyal the satraps were to him, the new Hellenic king-basically summing up who both Darius and Xerxes thought of as their enemies. He decided that the satraps would have to switch seats of power, and that he would have to make as many bids to the populace that he was for them and them alone as possible. He realizes the his banning of religions other than Hellenism had caused massive uproars and protests, while the Jewish population in Palestine had wanted to break away this made no sense He had decided to legalize only Zoroastrianism, because people thought Zoroastrians were getting a better treatment, as the vast majority of the population had not abided to his law outlawing all religions other than Hellenism. He also realized that Hellenism had begun its spread in the wrong place- the elite. The top 15 percent worshiped the Greek gods while the bottom 80% were Zoroastrian, while 3% were Jewish and 2 percent worshipped various other gods. However, Hellenic gods had spread quickly within the military, and order was kept. When he legalized Zoroastrianism and added a massive tax on it, the population could not complain and converted to escape the taxes. Those who didn't convert had barely enough money to get food. He created the first slaughter in history, genociding the Jews after their revolt and wiping Judaism off the map. He realized that Persia was becoming extremely Greek, and that was the opposite of what Achilles wanted. He wanted mixing, and that wasn’t getting done. He decided to try another invasion of Greece, but this time, he was going to get the city-states to attack one another, rather than destroy them. He also decided that all Persian culture must be kept mainstream. Another thing that he figured out was that because Zoroastrians were willing to accept Hellenic Gods into their worship, he could have them worship both, then slowly discredit Ahura Mazda until only the true gods were worshiped.


The Next Day

“Artabanus II”

“Yes lord Achilles.

“You know of Carthage, yes?”

“I do, my lord”

“They have been a pain in our side for a long time, however with our recent takeover of Greece and the Indus, and the empire or alliance of kingdoms massing in Hindustan, we are not able to directly take them over, so what do you suggest we do?”

“We will aid Magna Graecia indirectly and have them fight Carthage and if they lose we loot them so Carthage gets nothing.”

“Brilliant, that is what we will do.”



Asia


India

“Mahendra, sir, we heard that a group of Parsi soldiers just attacked and took over a kingdom on the other side of the Indus. The Indus are no longer with us Hindus, but with the Parsis.”

“You are right as always, Andhaka. We have to resist the Parsis before they take over all of Hindustan. I shall form an alliance of kingdoms to actively resist the Parsis and stop them from interfering any more in Hindu affairs.”

“Also, my lord, we have seen lots of fighting in the Tibetan area. Some tribes have embraced some sort of godless heterodoxy of Shaivism. This has caused them to fight to spread this heterodoxy.”

“We shall deal with the heterodoxy later- first I must set up a meeting with the leaders of the Northern Hindu kingdoms so that we may unite to face this Parsi threat.”


In the council of Hindu kingdoms


“Mahendra, why have you summoned us here asking us to forgo our wars and join you in some unruly alliance that would require us to give up kingship?”

“Agastya, that is because the Parsis are nearly upon us. They have penetrated the Indus Valley and are sending their armies to take over the northern kingdoms. While we are divided, we stand no chance against the Parsis, but together we will crush them and make sure that they never return!”

“Fine, I accept.”

“Like Agastya, do the rest of you accept this new empire?”

“I accept.”

“I accept.”

“I accept.”

“I accept.”

“I accept.”

“I accept.”

“I accept.”

“I accept.”

Carthaginian Empire

“King Hannibal, I have just gotten word that the Magna Graecia has taken over Syracuse and is attacking our colony in Sicily.”

“Then Hanno, mobilize our fleet tomorrow, we sail to war!”

The Next Day

“Hanno, I don't understand. Why would Magna Graecia attack us? We are the most powerful empire on the west side of the Mediterranean and they are a tiny city-state. The only empire I could see defeating us by itself is the Achaemenids.”

“My King, this is because Magna Graecia has the support of the Achaemenids. We have been an enemy of theirs for a long time.”

“So, why haven't they invaded us?”

“Two reasons. First, they cannot, as they have just taken over Greece, and have a large empire at their Indus border, and second, if Magna Graecia takes over Carthage we would be discredited as weak and the Carthaginians that are part of our empire will assimilate fast.”

“So how do we beat them.”

“We need a larger army made up of the populace and not mercenaries.”

“How do we do that?”

“Make it required to serve in the army and while the army is not fighting they can work.”


The Carthaginian War

“We must attack the Italian peninsula through our colonies in Sardinia. Also, there is a small republic named Rome on the northwest of the island. Should we make allies with them, my king.”

“Yes, Hanno offer them Corsica in exchange for attacking Magna Graecia.”

“Yes, sir.”

The Roman Republic

“ Aelianus sir after your rise to power the Carthaginian empire has congratulated you and given you an offer.”

“ Why would Carthage give us an offer, and what is it?”

They have asked for you to help them take over Magna Graecia in exchange for a permanent alliance and the island of Corsica.”

“Then tell them that we accept and tomorrow Rome rides to war!”




121A.O.C/439 B.C.E

Rome expands further down up to the borders of Magna Graecia while Magna Graecia sets up an outpost close to the Carthaginian Capital. The holding of this outpost depends solely on Magna Graecia holding the island of Malta. Meanwhile, Persia aids help Magna Graecia by raiding Carthaginian cities but while indirectly aiding Magna Graecia establishes an alliance with Rome to dominate the others. This results in Rome playing Carthage against Magna Graecia and attacking both Magna Graecia and Carthage blaming it on Rome.



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122 A.O.C/438 B.C.E


In order to cover war costs Carthage expands into Iberia for gold and silver, however, ends up devaluing the currency to a point where prices rise so much that by the end of the war Carthage will become a Roman vassal state. Carthage takes all but the heel of Italy with the Magna Graecia retreating there. With all the wealth coming from the war rome becomes a superpower. Persia grows stronger and fortifies around the black sea.
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123 A.O.C/437 B.C.E

Magna Graecia falls to Carthage however the war has completely exhausted their resources.

Persia gobbles up the Balkans and expands around the Caucasus area. In the Persian capital, the heliograph and the glider are created.
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