What if... Brutus stayed loyal to Caesar

What if Brutus never betrayed Julius Caesar and sided with Pompey

Surely this would have lead to a far more secure and stable Roman Empire in which Caesar would not have been assassinated by his aforementioned friend who, in this reality, would have remained his loyal sword and right-hand man.

In turn, whether Caesarean or Augustus (should Caesarean have fallen foul to some accident or illness etc) would have been the one to succeeded Caesar as his heir (being his only two blood relative) would not have mattered a greater deal. In either eventuality the extended life granted to Caesar in this scenario would have allowed him the time to ingratiate the public and the leading nobilities to their presences as his heir.

As a result there would never have been any need for Augustus to confront Brutus and Cassius nor Mark Anthony at Actium in battle, for they would have been no civil war, which ultimately lead to weakness and a succession of poor emperors including Tiberius, Caligula, and Nero.

One could argue that in this scenario the blood line would have been strengthened by the peace that remained between Brutus, Anthony, Augustus who would have presumably married their offspring to one another in order to build a stronger blood line, and naturally, in the hope that their own offspring might one day lead the empire. Either way a more powerful, more stable Roman Empire would prevail.

Perhaps one could argue that the jealously between Mark Anthony and Brutus might have remained and lead to a civil war following Caesar’s death in this scenario as it did following his assassination. But once could also argue that perhaps over time, in an alternative reality such as this, which strongly relies on a significant change in Brutus’ character that the jealously between him and Anthony might have mellowed.

Ideas?
 
Well, the problem is that there's no guarantee that the Imperial system emerges as we knew it will evolve if Caesar survives. Caesar was Dictator Perpetuus, while Augustus only held aglomerations of titles, I beleive. Caesar's authority may thus be more formal than Augustus was, which may create more of a constitutional monarchy, with the Senate retaining more of its functions.

Also, even if Brutus stays loyal, it seems like the conspriacy was large enough it might still make an attempt.

And the issue of rivalry between Brutus, Marc Antony, and Octavian would be no small thing. Let alone the idea of the Dictator's title being hereditary might seem very odd.
 
"Dictator" Might be our word for a higher-than-a-King Monarch rather than "Emperor" if this happened. ;)
 
Unfortunately it's 'Et tu, Brute' for a reason - there were a large number of assassins (fr ex, Cassus Longuinius), and Brutus was actually brought in relatively late to the conspiracy. The change would need to be a greater crushing of the Roman nobility in the Civil war - so much so that any spirit of defiance is crushed. Possible PoD - a less merciful Caeser, putting his enemies to the sword rather than sparing them.

Of course, that Caeser may not have been as successful...
 
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