What if: Alexander the Great dies during the Balkan Campaigns

Drynemeton

Banned
Say gets sick, or perhaps he dies of gangrene from an infected wound.


Where does Macedon go from here? He's already consolidated his own rule by killing off other potential heirs to the throne. Does Macedon just... collapse?
 
I'd suspect another General to take the throne. Perhaps Parmenion or Ptolemy, they might just settle to take Egypt and smash Persia. But I could not see them pushing towards India.
 
I'd suspect another General to take the throne. Perhaps Parmenion or Ptolemy, they might just settle to take Egypt and smash Persia. But I could not see them pushing towards India.
There's still people of royal blood to take the throne. And why Ptolemy of all people? I don't think any of Alexander's generals would be in any particularly high position yet, as opposed to Philips's veterans like Parmenion. Also, it's a bit much to assume they could still conquer the whole of the Persian Empire as well. In any case, there's still Philip's other son and daughters to consider, particularly Philip Arrhidaeus. Of course he'd need a regent, but I don't think there wouldn't be as much opposition to Antipater than there was after all the other generals had attained so much power through Alexander after the wars.
 

Dirk

Banned
Wasn't Philip Arrhidaeus kind of slow though?

Exactly, which is why he's perfect for somebody in a position of great power and trust (of the people and the army) but not of the royal blood (like Antipater or Parmenion). There is basically no proper adult male of the royal blood left after Alexander had his cousin Amyntas killed; some, such as Perdiccas, are thought to have maybe been distantly related to the Argead line, but certainly didn't wield the political influence and military experience necessary to become king.
 
Wasn't Philip Arrhidaeus kind of slow though?

Yeah but he's the only other son of Philip left. (EDIT: And as Dirk says is a very useful puppet for powerful non-Argeads to use) The Macedonian succession was very, very unstable throughout history, and Alexander's was no different - he and Olympias pretty much offed everyone who could be seen as a legitimate threat to his rule except for Arrhidaeus. I'm fairly certain that Caranus (Alexander's infant brother and arguably the impetus behind Philip's assassination, if you believe Olympias was behind it, which I do) was dead by the time Alexander went to the Balkans, as was Amyntas IV, the now grown up son of Perdiccas III whom Philip II was supposed to act as regent for but usurped the position of king. The only other Argead male alive at the time besides Arrhidaeus that I can think of was Alexander of Lyncestis (a son of Aeropus II of Macedonia, who ruled briefly in the 390s), whom Alexander let live because he was among the first to proclaim him king after Philip's assassination - although he killed his brothers for their role in Philip's murder. Alexander of Lyncestis was brought along for the Persian campaign, but was imprisoned and later executed by Alexander when it was discovered that he was corresponding with Darius, being promised the Macedonian throne and gold if he killed Alexander.

My guess is that something like this goes down. Arrhidaeus as the last son of Philip is named king, given the regnal name Philip III like OTL, but Alexander of Lyncestis is made regent for Arrhidaeus. Like Philip II Alexander of Lyncestis might just usurp the throne over his incapable relative anyways and become Alexander IV. He (Alexander of Lyncestis) is the one that is going to have to ensure the continued survival of the Argead family. However, he would end up relying massively on Parmenion and Antipater, and arguably those two would be the ones truly in power. The Persian campaign probably still goes through, once the Greeks are settled down, but if it gets anywhere it doesn't get nearly as far - Alexander IV would have to win TTL'S Granicus and successfully besiege Halicarnassus just to get off the Anatolian coastline, neither of which will be easy. Having Parmenion helps just like it helped Alexander III (regardless of Arrian), but it doesn't do everything for him.
 
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Just to add on to my earlier post, since Alexander of Lyncestis should be in his sixties during the Balkan campaign, and as far as I know had no sons, the Argead succession is still in a rough spot unless Alexander IV has any sons before he dies, and thus is still probably screwed and going to come down to Arrhidaeus. I'd forgotten that he'd been married to a daughter of Antipater (hence why it took so long for him to be executed), so Antipater would be the closest non-Argead to the throne, and should Alexander IV die with male issue Antipater would most likely be regent for the boy - although even if he doesn't he and/or Parmenion would take that role for Arrhidaeus anyways. As Velasco says there's a good chance Alexander of Lyncestis marries one of Alexander's sisters (although probably not Cleopatra since she was still married), and maybe one of Parmenion's daughters too, if he had any (can't recall right now). Most likely he marries Cynane or Thessalonica. Maybe Philotas, Parmenion's son, is wedded to to the other sister if Parmenion has no other daughters to marry to give him an alliance with the royal family and more equal footing with Antipater.
 
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Weren't there serious suspicions that Ptolemy was actually, although not officially acknowledged as such, a half-brother of Alexander?
 
Weren't there serious suspicions that Ptolemy was actually, although not officially acknowledged as such, a half-brother of Alexander?

It seems his mother was the daughter of a collateral member of the royal clan (the ones who lived as private citizens) who was given to Philip when he ascended the throne and then given by him to one of his noblemen. Not even an official consort, more of a "woman of the King"-type position, giving her son room to claim royal paternity later on....either way she was Argead enough for two of her grandsons to sit comfortably on the Macedonian throne not long after Philip's recognized descendants died out.
 

Drynemeton

Banned
Alright, but you guys still think that the Macedonians will be leading successful campaigns into Anatolia and Persia with a succession crisis like that?
 
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