WI Alexander lived

Alon · Nov 17, 2019

Is there a good TL, or discussion (here or elsewhere), about what would have happened if Alexander hadn't died young? Could a Hellenistic empire covering his entire territory have survived for a couple generations?

SunKing105 · Nov 17, 2019

There are quite a bit of threads on this, if you search around. For a TL, I recommend "Of Satraps and Kings", which technically has Alexander living a bit longer, but it's not a "true" Alexander lives timeline. Anyway, if Alexander lived, then he would be able to carry out his invasions of Arabia and Carthage, and his other last plans, although those would put a significant fiscal strain on the empire. Alexander however was quite reckless, especially in battle, and considering that he always led from the front, he might live for only a few more years before he dies in battle, or alcohol overdose, or something like that. But if he survives long enough to establish fully his cultural fusion programs, and to leave an heir and clearly defined line of succession, and to consolidate his realm, then his empire could survive for centuries. If Alexander has many sons though, a civil war could tear the empire apart, especially since Macedon has a history of messy successions...

33k7 · Nov 17, 2019

his Empire will only last as long as he lives unless he lives to be a hundred and something a civil war will follow after his death

isabella · Nov 18, 2019

Alon said:
Is there a good TL, or discussion (here or elsewhere), about what would have happened if Alexander hadn't died young? Could a Hellenistic empire covering his entire territory have survived for a couple generations?

Yes, is pretty likely who the Empire of Alexander would survive for long time if he had lived just some more years (enough time for fathering a son by Stateira, leaving a clear line of succession and seeing the fruits of the Susa weddings)

Mikestone8 · Nov 19, 2019

SunKing105 said:
or alcohol overdose, or something like that

Philip was also a heavy drinker, yet he lived aa lot longer than Alexander.

ASUKIRIK · Nov 19, 2019

isabella said:
Yes, is pretty likely who the Empire of Alexander would survive for long time if he had lived just some more years (enough time for fathering a son by Stateira, leaving a clear line of succession and seeing the fruits of the Susa weddings)

I imagine a hundred-years old Alexander the Great will already get bored with all the fighting and managed to hunker down and create a big Hellenistic Empire with a clear line of succession.

First is consolidating around Babylon, and do what the Diadochi would have done IOTL, importing massive numbers of Greeks to settle the Mesopotamia.

Second, start the Government and Law standardization process properly, Alexander was already interested in creating a mix between Persian Bureaucracy and Hellenistic Academic-Scholar, even if the later was obviously influenced by Aristotle. Long-living Alexander would see some sort of Bureaucratic reform happened, with standardization on Satrap, Boule, and Voting Rights of (Property-owning) Citizens of the Empire.

Third, longer-lived Alexander would also see his prestige only growing with age, a hundred-years-old Monarch would have all the influence he could wield, and then some with how he could use his experiences to his advantage, especially since the later younger generations only knew the time when King Alexander was the King of Kings. This kind of aging would only breed further loyalty of his subjects.

All above, he would end up rather like the Classical-Age version of Louis XIV.

Sertorius126 · Nov 19, 2019

Mikestone8 said:
Philip was also a heavy drinker, yet he lived aa lot longer than Alexander.

Yeah, but Philip didn’t get his lung perforated, severely weakening one’s immune system, and didn’t restlessly travel half of Asia, with all the risk of infection.

isabella · Nov 19, 2019

ASUKIRIK said:
I imagine a hundred-years old Alexander the Great will already get bored with all the fighting and managed to hunker down and create a big Hellenistic Empire with a clear line of succession.

First is consolidating around Babylon, and do what the Diadochi would have done IOTL, importing massive numbers of Greeks to settle the Mesopotamia.

Second, start the Government and Law standardization process properly, Alexander was already interested in creating a mix between Persian Bureaucracy and Hellenistic Academic-Scholar, even if the later was obviously influenced by Aristotle. Long-living Alexander would see some sort of Bureaucratic reform happened, with standardization on Satrap, Boule, and Voting Rights of (Property-owning) Citizens of the Empire.

Third, longer-lived Alexander would also see his prestige only growing with age, a hundred-years-old Monarch would have all the influence he could wield, and then some with how he could use his experiences to his advantage, especially since the later younger generations only knew the time when King Alexander was the King of Kings. This kind of aging would only breed further loyalty of his subjects.

All above, he would end up rather like the Classical-Age version of Louis XIV.

Five more years would be likely enough and in less than ten the changes irreversible...
But likely also Hephaistion surviving him (or Krateros in Babilonia or maybe already in Macedonia instead of the middle of the road) would be enough for securing the stability of the Empire.
The problem is who there in the span of a year Hephaistion, Alexander and Stateira all died and the only heir left was the unborn son of Alexander by a minor wife extremely ambitious and without any true powerbase

Mikestone8 · Nov 19, 2019

Sertorius126 said:
Yeah, but Philip didn’t get his lung perforated, severely weakening one’s immune system, and didn’t restlessly travel half of Asia, with all the risk of infection.

OTOH we haven't been given a precise PoD for this. Maybe Alexander lives precisely because he doesn't get the lung perforation - the arrow misses or just hits him in the arm.

I'd say his biggest risk is this Arabian expedition that he's planning. Could turn into the Makran on steroids. But if he comes through that he should be good for a few years.

Mikestone8 · Nov 19, 2019

isabella said:
But likely also Hephaistion surviving him (or Krateros in Babilonia or maybe already in Macedonia instead of the middle of the road)

And Krateros in Macedon could be good news for Alexander's children. His presence means that Cassander won't be in charge there.

isabella · Nov 19, 2019

Mikestone8 said:
And Krateros in Macedon could be good news for Alexander's children. His presence means that Cassander won't be in charge there.

Krateros in Macedonia would likely not be enough for saving Stateira but him already in Macedonia in place of Antipater would take away his need to deal with Antipater consenting him to either keep Darius’ niece Amestris as his chief wife or at least replacing her with a Macedonian princess (any of them would work: Adea Eurydice, Thessalonike or Cleopatra herself)

Dathi THorfinnsson · Nov 19, 2019

isabella · Nov 19, 2019

@Dathi THorfinnsson: you can add also this one to your list https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/queens-chiliarchs-diaries-of-the-east.255752/