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?
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?