WI: Alexander IV of Macedon survives to adulthood

[Magnum]

When his illustrious father died, young Alexander was still in his mother's womb. When the Bactrian princess Roxana finally gave birth to him, he was proclaimed king alongside his uncle, Alexander's half-brother, the mentally disabled Phillip Arrhidaeus. The regent Perdiccas kept the royals under close supervision in Babylon; when he himself appeared to make an attempt for the throne, by writing to Alexander's sister Cleopatra that he intended to discard his newly wed wife Nicaea (daughter of Antipater, who was left in control of Macedon and was subduing a rebellion by the Greek city states at the time) and marry her instead, a revolt began. Antipater enlisted the aid of Ptolemy, who was governor of Egypt, as well as others, and began preparing for war. One of the opening acts of this rebellion was Ptolemy stealing Alexander's body, which was being transported back to Macedon to be buried among his ancestors, and bringing it to Alexandria in Egypt instead.

Perdiccas marched his army south into Egypt, where he dramatically failed to carry out an opposed crossing of the Nile river. His army grew discontent, and his officers assassinated him. Perdiccas' army elected to new leaders (who ostensibly succeeded him in the position of regent to Alexander IV), who however were not accepted by the other Diadochi. At the Partition of Triparadisus, the aging Antipater (who was advancing into Syria when news of Perdiccas' murder reached him) was chosen as the new Regent.

Antipater left Antigonus to continue the fight against Perdiccas' loyal general Eumenes, whilst he took the royals from Babylon with him back to Macedonia. Eumenes and Antigonus reached for the time being reached an understanding, and with the remaining hostile forces under Perdiccas' brother Alcetas defeated by Antigonus, it seemed that peace and stability would be restored to the Empire. Back in Macedon however, Antipater grew ill and the following year died. Instead of appointing his son Cassander as the new Regent, Antipater chose the experienced general Polyperchon, with Cassander as his deputy. Cassander however would have none of it, and revolted against Polyperchon, allying himself with Antigonus.

Desperately outnumbered by their combined armies, Polyperchon allied himself with Eumenes, who was given control of the royal treasury and of the famous Silver Shields. With this danger to his east, Antigonus was forced to ignore Macedon for the time being, and chased after Eumenes. Polyperchon proclaimed the freedom of the Greek cities in order to gain their support and moved to solidify his control over the area by attacking some of the only cities in Greece who had sided with Cassander - Athens and Megalopolis. However, his assault on Megalopolis dramatically failed, and his support deteriorated substantially. The following year, Cassander returned and Polyperchon fled to Epirus, taking the young Alexander with him. The other co-king, Phillip Arrhidaeus, fell under Cassander's control during the collapse of Polyperchon's administration. In Epirus, he allied himself with Alexander the Great's mother, Olympias, and her cousin, the King of Epirus, Alcetas. Leaving the young Alexander IV with his grandmother in Epirus, Polyperchon moved with a force south, to once again rally the Greek city-states.

Olympias invaded Macedon herself whilst Cassander was away to the south trying to confront Polyperchon. Here, the Macedonian army, controlled by Phillip Arrhidaeus' wife Eurydice, defected to her, not wishing to fight Alexander the Great's own mother. Olympias had Eurydice and Phillip Arrhidaeus, along with over 100 of Cassander's supporters, killed, but was besieged in Pydna when Cassander returned, and forced to surrender. Lying that he would spare her, he had her killed, and a few years later, also murdered the young Alexander and his mother, when people began arguing that the boy, soon to turn 14, should begin assuming the responsibilities of kingship.

However, let's assume that, upon receiving news that Cassander was approaching, Olympias decided a besieged city was not the safest place for the young king to be, and had sent Alexander and Roxana away back to Eiprus to safety. What then? OTL, following news of Cassanders besieging Olympias at Pydna, Aecides the King of Epirus marched west to relieve her but a pro-Cassander revolt broke out among his army, and he was forced to flee south, to Polyperchon. His two-year old son Pyrrhus, protected by faithful servants, narrowly escaped the plotters back in Epirus, and fled north to Glaucias of the Taulantians. It is reasonable to assume the young Alexander and Roxana would have been brought along north as well, although they may have also chosen to flee south to Polyperchon.

Regardless, the position of Polyperchon and the loyalists was nigh hopeless after Eumenes 'won the battle but lost the war' against Antigonus in the east, after the Silver Shields turned him over to their once defeated opponent following the latter's capture of the baggage train (where the families and all possessions of Alexander's elite soldiers were kept). At the advice of his council and against his own wishes, Antigonus had Eumenes executed, effectively making Polyperchon's small army in Aetolia the only loyalist force left in the Empire.

OTL, Antigonus fell out with his allies Ptolemy (Egypt), Cassander (Macedon), Lysimachus (Thrace) and Asander (Caria) in 315 BC, barely a year after Olympias' execution. It is doubtful that Cassander (or anyone else) could have managed to defeat Polyperchon in that short time span (didn't happen OLT after all), meaning that the nominal regent would be in a position to decide which side to back. OTL (when the young Alexander was already under the control of Cassander), he chose to ally with Antigonus, and even surrendered the Regency to him. Assuming that he does the same ITTL, he would possibly send the 8 year old Alexander IV along.

Having control of Alexander's son and heir would have provided Antigonus with a massive propaganda boost. Would it have been enough to allow him to overcome the rebels? I somehow doubt it, though anything is possible. What is likely IMO is that the III Diadochi war ends in peace as OTL. Alexander IV would be approaching 14 years of age around a couple of years later, and the same dilemma that confronted Cassander OTL would be had by Antigonus ITTL. Would Antigonus have allowed him to assume control, with himself remaining as the power behind the throne? Would he have killed him as Cassander did?

There is however also the possibility that Alexander remains in the Pelloponese with Polyperchon, who OTL had managed to take most of it by the time peace was concluded. How would this impact negotiations? Assuming things go as OTL, except that Polyperchon still controls Alexander, and skipping over the Babylonian War (where Seleucus managed to repel Antigonid attempts to reassert control over the east) the next war only began in 308, by which time Alexander would have been 15 years old! What then ?!

 

[Sertorius126]

Antigonos didn’t need Polyperchon, if the old man had been fool enough to surrender the boy to Antigonos, he would have been killed shortly after thag. Assuming he did deliver Alexandros, Antigonos would have done exactly what Kassandros did, have the boy killed once he got out of minority, after people had began forgetting about him. None of those generals wanted such a burdensome youth on their shoulders, they wanted to get rid of the Argeads to establish their own rule. If Alexandros had stayed in Polyperchon’s care, he’d have met the same fate as his half brother, Herakles.

The only real chance Alexandros had to survive to adulthood rested on Eumenes’ victory. With Eumenes gone, there’s no other general who’d have been willing to keep him alive.

 

[Magnum]

I'd respectfully disagree on a number of points:

Antigonos didn’t need Polyperchon

He allied him OTL.

If Alexandros had stayed in Polyperchon’s care, he’d have met the same fate as his half brother, Herakles.

1. It's unclear whether Polyperchon had any surviving children of his own. In that sense, it could be a situation akin to Antigonos III Doson, who raised Philip V as his own.
2. It's extremely unlikely IMO that Herakles was Alexander's kid, and Polyperchon probably knew this

The only real chance Alexandros had to survive to adulthood rested on Eumenes’ victory. With Eumenes gone, there’s no other general who’d have been willing to keep him alive.

There's also Olympia - she could have won at Pydna against Cassander, e.g. if relief had come from Epirus and Polyperchon in time.
Or young Alex, if we assume his grandma sends him to Epirus, is wisked away by the Epirote king's advisers north along with the 2 year-old Pyrrhus (now there's a partnership to write stories about...)
Or maybe, after Polyperchon surrenders the boy to him, Antigonos has both his kids (Demetrius and Philip) as well as his grandkid by Demetrius (Antigonos Gonatas; we assume Demetrius never had a chance to sire his second child ITTL) die early, leaving Antigonos the One-Eyed in his late 70s without any other obvious heir...

 

[Sertorius126]

I'd respectfully disagree on a number of points


He allied him OTL.

That he did, but not out of need, he just conveniently held useful strongholds in Greece. If Polyperchon surrenders to Antigonos everything he has, what’s the point in keeping him in the game?

1. It's unclear whether Polyperchon had any surviving children of his own. In that sense, it could be a situation akin to Antigonos III Doson, who raised Philip V as his own.
2. It's extremely unlikely IMO that Herakles was Alexander's kid, and Polyperchon probably knew this

He did, his name was Alexandros too, he was, at least in OTL, on Kassandros’ side by the end of 315.

Why was it unlikely that he was Alexandros III’ s son? He was even briefly considered for the throne at Babylon, admittedly by the man who had married his mother.

There's also Olympia - she could have won at Pydna against Cassander, e.g. if relief had come from Epirus and Polyperchon in time.
Or young Alex, if we assume his grandma sends him to Epirus, is wisked away by the Epirote king's advisers north along with the 2 year-old Pyrrhus (now there's a partnership to write stories about...)
Or maybe, after Polyperchon surrenders the boy to him, Antigonos has both his kids (Demetrius and Philip) as well as his grandkid by Demetrius (Antigonos Gonatas; we assume Demetrius never had a chance to sire his second child ITTL) die early, leaving Antigonos the One-Eyed in his late 70s without any other obvious heir...

Oh in case the kid reaches Epirus, he could survive, maybe even have a chance at reconquering Macedonia, although not the whole empire. I was just considering what would happen if he had stayed with Polyperchon.

 

[Magnum]

Why was it unlikely that he was Alexandros III’ s son? He was even briefly considered for the throne at Babylon, admittedly by the man who had married his mother.

From wiki (I know ...):

Of Barsine, Mary Renault states that:

“ No record at all exists of such a woman accompanying his march; nor of any claim by her, or her powerful kin, that she had borne him offspring. Yet twelve years after his [Alexander’s] death a boy was produced, seventeen years old, born therefore five years after Damascus, [Where Alexander and Barsine reportedly first met] her alleged son, ‘brought up in Pergamon’; a claimant and shortlived pawn in the succession wars, chosen probably for a physical resemblance to Alexander. That he actually did marry another Barsine [Stateira, often referred to in Greek sources as Barsine] must have helped both launch and preserve the story; but no source reports any notice whatever taken by him [Alexander] of a child who, Roxane's being posthumous, would have been during his lifetime his only son, by a near-royal mother. In a man who named cities after his horse and dog, this strains credulity.[2] ”
If Heracles were Alexander’s illegitimate child, then it also raises the pointed question as to why he, as Alexander’s only living son at the time of his death, was not immediately drawn into the succession disputes, and why he was passed over in favour of Philip Arrhidaeus - himself illegitimate[citation needed] - who was only a son of Alexander’s father Philip, and thus a more distant claimant than Heracles. Renault concludes that the romance with Barsine was invented retrospectively to validate Heracles' parentage.[3]

 

[Sertorius126]

From wiki (I know ...):

Of Barsine, Mary Renault states that:

“ No record at all exists of such a woman accompanying his march; nor of any claim by her, or her powerful kin, that she had borne him offspring. Yet twelve years after his [Alexander’s] death a boy was produced, seventeen years old, born therefore five years after Damascus, [Where Alexander and Barsine reportedly first met] her alleged son, ‘brought up in Pergamon’; a claimant and shortlived pawn in the succession wars, chosen probably for a physical resemblance to Alexander. That he actually did marry another Barsine [Stateira, often referred to in Greek sources as Barsine] must have helped both launch and preserve the story; but no source reports any notice whatever taken by him [Alexander] of a child who, Roxane's being posthumous, would have been during his lifetime his only son, by a near-royal mother. In a man who named cities after his horse and dog, this strains credulity.[2] ”
If Heracles were Alexander’s illegitimate child, then it also raises the pointed question as to why he, as Alexander’s only living son at the time of his death, was not immediately drawn into the succession disputes, and why he was passed over in favour of Philip Arrhidaeus - himself illegitimate[citation needed] - who was only a son of Alexander’s father Philip, and thus a more distant claimant than Heracles. Renault concludes that the romance with Barsine was invented retrospectively to validate Heracles' parentage.[3]

Herakles was the son of a Persian woman, no member of the Macedonian elite would have accepted the illegitimate son of a Persian as his ruler. Herakles was drawn in the succession disputes as I said, only to be quickly discarded. It’s impossible that Barsine and Nearchos could pull out the boyout of nowhere in such a short span of time between Alexandros’ death and the confusion in Babylon.

Now no disrespect to Renault, but she was no historian, she was a fan and an accomplished writer, pretty adamant in believing that Alexandros was homosexual, and thus incapable of having a sexual relationship with a woman whom he didn’t need to get pregnant.

As far as historians go, neither James Romm, nor Robin Waterfield doubt Herakles’ paternity.

 

[Magnum]

Oh in case the kid reaches Epirus, he could survive, maybe even have a chance at reconquering Macedonia, although not the whole empire. I was just considering what would happen if he had stayed with Polyperchon.

I somehow doubt Polyperchon, who would have specifically been tasked by Antipater to look after him, and under whose care the boy had been for about a decade, would have had Alex IV killed unless he really had no other choice. Unlike Cassander, his realm isn't as powerful (making any backlash even more troubling), and unlike with Herakles, a bastard of dubious origin whom he had just met, Alexander IV would have been the rightful king, legitimate child of Megas Alexandros (under whose shadow Polyperchon could hope to prosper far more than anything Cassander could offer him).

Separately, why do you reckon, had he escaped east, and then taken Macedonia later on (like Pyrrhus did during his first brief stint as king of Macedon) couldn't Alex IV have pushed to take Phrygia, Syria or even Babylonia or Egypt? Entire armies tended to easily defect during that period

 

[Sertorius126]

I somehow doubt Polyperchon, who would have specifically been tasked by Antipater to look after him, and under whose care the boy had been for about a decade, would have had Alex IV killed unless he really had no other choice. Unlike Cassander, his realm isn't as powerful (making any backlash even more troubling), and unlike with Herakles, a bastard of dubious origin whom he had just met, Alexander IV would have been the rightful king, legitimate child of Megas Alexandros (under whose shadow Polyperchon could hope to prosper far more than anything Cassander could offer him).

Because if he allies with Antigonos and delivers the child to him, the boy would be as good as dead. If he doesn’t, history shows us that he wouldn’t have hesitated to deliver him to Kassandros eventually to get a better deal. Polyperchon, by Eumenes’ and Olympia’s death, was in no position to pursue a policy by himself, so he’d either give the child to one or the other eventually.

Separately, why do you reckon, had he escaped east, and then taken Macedonia later on (like Pyrrhus did during his first brief stint as king of Macedon) couldn't Alex IV have pushed to take Phrygia, Syria or even Babylonia or Egypt? Entire armies tended to easily defect during that period

Because by the time he got old enough to lead armies, Antigonos and the others would have already declared themselves kings. In Macedonia, Alexandros could still count on the old prestige of the Argeads and, especially, of his gradfather, which is what Ptolomeos attempted to do in 308 to conquer Macedonia, but on the other parts of the world, who would have followed this relic of an old and faded memory with no experience behind him, when they had fought for and been paid by the same man for more than a decade now? He could have tried it in 315, but by 305 it was already too late.

 

[Magnum]

Because if he allies with Antigonos and delivers the child to him, the boy would be as good as dead. If he doesn’t, history shows us that he wouldn’t have hesitated to deliver him to Kassandros eventually to get a better deal. Polyperchon, by Eumenes’ and Olympia’s death, was in no position to pursue a policy by himself, so he’d either give the child to one or the other eventually.



Because by the time he got old enough to lead armies, Antigonos and the others would have already declared themselves kings. In Macedonia, Alexandros could still count on the old prestige of the Argeads and, especially, of his gradfather, which is what Ptolomeos attempted to do in 308 to conquer Macedonia, but on the other parts of the world, who would have followed this relic of an old and faded memory with no experience behind him, when they had fought for and been paid by the same man for more than a decade now? He could have tried it in 315, but by 305 it was already too late.

It's not a given that they do declare themselves kings, or at least not all of them. They only did so once there was no heir left

 

[Magnum]

Also, regarding the first part - I'd disagree. Polyperchon was winning in Greece against Cassander when the war was put on pause in 311 BC, and even OTL retained his dominion. By the time the next round started, in 308 BC, young Alexander would be 15. Again, the current reigning monarch, legitimate son of Alexander the Great, offers, unlike Herakles OTL, far more opportunities for Polyperchon than Cassander can.

The other Diadochi are pretty evenly matched and can't really affort to go on an expedition into the Peloponese prior to Issus, making Polyperchon's position, giving he is in control of the king, far more secure (although precarious nontheless)

 

[Sertorius126]

It's not a given that they do declare themselves kings, or at least not all of them. They only did so once there was no heir left

In consequence of any attempt by Alexandros, I think they’d even be more hasty in doing so, to counter his own prestige.

 

[Sertorius126]

Also, regarding the first part - I'd disagree. Polyperchon was winning in Greece against Cassander when the war was put on pause in 311 BC, and even OTL retained his dominion. By the time the next round started, in 308 BC, young Alexander would be 15. Again, the current reigning monarch, legitimate son of Alexander the Great, offers, unlike Herakles OTL, far more opportunities for Polyperchon than Cassander can.

The other Diadochi are pretty evenly matched and can't really affort to go on an expedition into the Peloponese prior to Issus, making Polyperchon's position, giving he is in control of the king, far more secure (although precarious nontheless)

It’s not that Polyperchon’s position wasn’t secure in 315, but Once war was temporarily over between the Diadochoi on 311, Antigonos’ alliance wasn’t enough to keep him safe anymore. That’s why when Antigonos sent him Herakles, he had him murdered to align himself with Kassandros, and after that we hear nothing more of Polyperchon but scant mentions. Apparently he wasn’t even worth killing or being imprisoned, that says a lot about him.

 

[Magnum]

It’s not that Polyperchon’s position wasn’t secure in 315, but Once war was temporarily over between the Diadochoi on 311, Antigonos’ alliance wasn’t enough to keep him safe anymore. That’s why when Antigonos sent him Herakles, he had him murdered to align himself with Kassandros, and after that we hear nothing more of Polyperchon but scant mentions. Apparently he wasn’t even worth killing or being imprisoned, that says a lot about him.

But the situation would be different here:

- Kassandros would not have demonstrated you can get away with killing the king
- Polyperchon would control the actual king, not a bastard nobody had heard of before, allowing him to gather far more support at the expense of Cassander
- the prospect of holding out long enough for Alex to grow up, and then taking the empire and being the power behind the throne, would be much more enticing than the 100 talents Cassander offered OTL
- If Cassander marches against him, that almost certainly restarts the war. At the very least, what would stop e.g. Lysimachus from invading Macedon, or Ptolemy sending in an expedition to the Aegean whilst Antigonus is busy in Babylon?

 

[Sertorius126]

But the situation would be different here:

- Kassandros would not have demonstrated you can get away with killing the king
- Polyperchon would control the actual king, not a bastard nobody had heard of before, allowing him to gather far more support at the expense of Cassander
- the prospect of holding out long enough for Alex to grow up, and then taking the empire and being the power behind the throne, would be much more enticing than the 100 talents Cassander offered OTL
- If Cassander marches against him, that almost certainly restarts the war. At the very least, what would stop e.g. Lysimachus from invading Macedon, or Ptolemy sending in an expedition to the Aegean whilst Antigonus is busy in Babylon?

The Diadochoi didn’t need Kassandros to prove that again, he had already killed Philippos III after all.

I repeat once again, the Diadochoi knew about Herakles, he was briefly considered as king right after Alexandros’ death, he was a bastard, but still a relevant enough pawn for Antigonos to bother keeping him in close sight.

All Diadochoi would simply march against Polyperchon in that case, just as all of them marched against Eumenes, and all of them marched against Antigonos and Demetrios. Polyperchon had no army to face them, and none of them are going to allow him to harbor such an important bargaining chip. The only thing Polyperchon can do is decide to whom he’s going to surrender first. But, even if only Kassandros concerned himself with dealing with Polyperchon, he wouldn’t need to worry about Lysimachos, he was too busy dealing hordes of Getae at the time, and Ptolomeos’ one and only invasion in Greece was a dismal failure.

 

[Galba Otho Vitelius]

I see two ways to keep Alexandros IV alive. The first is that Perdiccas wins and for whatever reason (no sons of his own, Cleopatra marries him on condition he adopts Alexandros and keeps him alive, no marriage to Cleopatra but Perdiccas has a daughter he can marry to Alexandros) decides to adopt Alexandros IV as his heir. Perdiccas winning probably means that he gains control at least of Egypt though not necessarily Macedon so you have a Macedonian successor state to the Persian Empire, more powerful than the Seleucid successor state, ruled by direct descendants of Alexandros III. This will produce all sorts of butterflies, if only in being a much more powerful rival to the Roman Republic.

The other way is that Olympia decides to escape with Alexandros IV to Epirus instead of fighting the wars and succeeds, or maybe to Sicily, which just adds to the chaos.

 

[Magnum]

I see two ways to keep Alexandros IV alive. The first is that Perdiccas wins and for whatever reason (no sons of his own, Cleopatra marries him on condition he adopts Alexandros and keeps him alive, no marriage to Cleopatra but Perdiccas has a daughter he can marry to Alexandros) decides to adopt Alexandros IV as his heir. Perdiccas winning probably means that he gains control at least of Egypt though not necessarily Macedon so you have a Macedonian successor state to the Persian Empire, more powerful than the Seleucid successor state, ruled by direct descendants of Alexandros III. This will produce all sorts of butterflies, if only in being a much more powerful rival to the Roman Republic.

The other way is that Olympia decides to escape with Alexandros IV to Epirus instead of fighting the wars and succeeds, or maybe to Sicily, which just adds to the chaos.

Olympias could also leave Alexandros behind with his 2 year old cousin Pyrrhus whilst she goes and tries to conquer Macedon.

Or old Antigonus gets hold of the boy and then has his sons die

 

[isabella]

I see two ways to keep Alexandros IV alive. The first is that Perdiccas wins and for whatever reason (no sons of his own, Cleopatra marries him on condition he adopts Alexandros and keeps him alive, no marriage to Cleopatra but Perdiccas has a daughter he can marry to Alexandros) decides to adopt Alexandros IV as his heir. Perdiccas winning probably means that he gains control at least of Egypt though not necessarily Macedon so you have a Macedonian successor state to the Persian Empire, more powerful than the Seleucid successor state, ruled by direct descendants of Alexandros III. This will produce all sorts of butterflies, if only in being a much more powerful rival to the Roman Republic.

The other way is that Olympia decides to escape with Alexandros IV to Epirus instead of fighting the wars and succeeds, or maybe to Sicily, which just adds to the chaos.

Kleopatra had a son and a daughter

 

[DominusNovus]

If I might ask a question that is tangental but related: during the Hellenistic period, did anyone of any account ever make some claim of descent from Alexander? Something along the lines of “my great grandmother was a local princess he married while passing through, its not our fault it didn’t make it into the histories.”

 

[Magnum]

If I might ask a question that is tangental but related: during the Hellenistic period, did anyone of any account ever make some claim of descent from Alexander? Something along the lines of “my great grandmother was a local princess he married while passing through, its not our fault it didn’t make it into the histories.”

Ptolemies of all people had something along those lines IIRC

 

[DominusNovus]

Ptolemies of all people had something along those lines IIRC

Referencing the claim that he was Alex's bastard half-brother, correct? I'm looking for something more direct. I figure, with all the fabricated genealogies throughout history, someone in this period must have made the claim of direct descent from Alexander.