WI: Alexander lived, then went East?

What if Alexander the Great survived his trek home to Macedon. Then, after recovering his forces for a few years or so went on the offensive into the Eastern Mediterranean, mainly Illyria and Italy? Could Alexander have beaten the Romans or would the Romans beat him? If they did how would they punish Alexander and if not would Alexander take all of Italy to?
 
What if Alexander the Great survived his trek home to Macedon. Then, after recovering his forces for a few years or so went on the offensive into the Eastern Mediterranean, mainly Illyria and Italy? Could Alexander have beaten the Romans or would the Romans beat him? If they did how would they punish Alexander and if not would Alexander take all of Italy to?

It would have been no contest at all. Rome was still just a local power fighting the Samnites for control of southern Italy. There is no possible way they could ever be in a position to "punish" Alexander in any way at all.

At best (and even this is unlikely) they might have defended themselves stubbornly enough that he gave up on them. But even then he could have just ignored them and pressed on to the Atlantic, leaving the Romans too sulk in their tents like the Spartans. They would just have been a modest enclave in a vast Hellenistic world.
 
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