What if the Roman Empire fell Earlier?

Let's say Augustus (the Octavian) lost his war against Anthony. Anthony, being an ineffective politician, fails to hold the Republic together, and civil war breaks out again. This civil war is long enough and protracted enough that eventually different areas of Rome develop, each claiming the title of the Republic.

Which areas would form?

Who would control each area?

Would anyone eventually be able to reconquer the Republic?

If not, how would this affect history?
 
Let's say Augustus (the Octavian) lost his war against Anthony. Anthony, being an ineffective politician, fails to hold the Republic together, and civil war breaks out again. This civil war is long enough and protracted enough that eventually different areas of Rome develop, each claiming the title of the Republic.

Which areas would form?

Who would control each area?

Would anyone eventually be able to reconquer the Republic?

If not, how would this affect history?

The situation you're describing is roughly what happened during the roman civil war, prior and after your PoD, by exemple during the Year of Four Emperors.

Each time, some guy managed to united all that and take imperial title at the end.

If you want Rome collapsing, you need a bigger, harder, heavier rupture. By exemple, Mithridate winning in the East while Spartacus taking Rome and Gaul wandering in northern italy.
 
The situation you're describing is roughly what happened during the roman civil war, prior and after your PoD, by exemple during the Year of Four Emperors.

Each time, some guy managed to united all that and take imperial title at the end.

If you want Rome collapsing, you need a bigger, harder, heavier rupture. By exemple, Mithridate winning in the East while Spartacus taking Rome and Gaul wandering in northern italy.

I didn't say permanently collapse, I just meant fell into a protracted civil war. Who do you think would be able to reconquer the Republic if said situation occured?
 
I didn't say permanently collapse, I just meant fell into a protracted civil war. Who do you think would be able to reconquer the Republic if said situation occured?

If the Roman Empire fell seemed to imply something more serious than a civil war.

For who would be able...Well, Antonius himself wasn't a bad politician, so he would be able to take back all that. If not, a pompeian or even Lepidus.
All depends on who have the more supports at Rome AND in the army.
 
Falling all would be HARD... But I find it possible that the Empire would loose BADLY. Loosing provinces, perhaps permanently, and driven back to smaller frontiers.

There is a range between OK survival and destruction. Maybe a Rump Empire could be.
 
One thing you gotta remember about the Romans is that they were tenacious bastards and rarely let utter defeat stop them, just look at Hannibal, he stomped across Italy for twenty years and still Rome dug in it's heels. I'm not sure who would take power in your situation, the problem is it is entirely possible that figures we haven't even heard of (due to sources liking to focus on certain individuals) would take charge. If you want a name, I'd say Marc Antony would be the most likely. While he lost to Octavian in OTL, he was by no means a bad politician or leader as many people believe. Octavian was just a bit better and a bit luckier, without him I reckon Antony has a real shot.

Question, who was Antony's heirs if he had any? Does anyone have an idea of who would take over after him? Did he favor any particular individual? What about Octavian who would succeed him? Any ideas?
 
Let's say Augustus (the Octavian) lost his war against Anthony. Anthony, being an ineffective politician, fails to hold the Republic together, and civil war breaks out again. This civil war is long enough and protracted enough that eventually different areas of Rome develop, each claiming the title of the Republic.

Which areas would form?

Who would control each area?

Would anyone eventually be able to reconquer the Republic?

If not, how would this affect history?

I just cannot imagine Roman Empire to disintegrate at this time. The Romans felt themselves a single united nation. Any civil war made them even stronger. They got a lot of fighting experience this way:).

The best time for the Roman Empire to 'fall' is the third century A.D.
That would look like more realistic and would not need too many fat PODs.
 
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