WI: Alexander the Great Adventurer?

My Macedonian history is a bit rusty, but from what I remember, part of what drove Alexander the Great's campaigns was his wanderlust. I know this might require a very different Alexander than the one we got, but how far could Alexander hage gotten into Asia if he had been an explorer or merchant like Marco Polo? IOTL, after Hydaspes, he wanted to keep going into India, and maybe into China, but his men had had enough. Could he have gotten as dar as he did, or even further, without an army (or pikemen at least)?

Any thoughts?
 

Skallagrim

Banned
There are two main PODs I can think of for this.

One is the one you allude to: that he decides to go on with a small cohort of volunteers after his army refuses to continue on. It's not very likely, because he was primarily set on conquering a vast empire. Exploring was part of it, but that was primarily related to a romantic notion of rivaling the mythic achievements of ancient gods and heroes. Alexander wanted to be Herakles and Dionysos combined. The conquering hero and the discoveror of the world's mysteries. He had this idea that the mythical mountain of Nysa (associated with Dionysos = "god of nysa"), said to be "in the East" was somewhere in northern India, and he'd very much like to reach it. But at the same time, he also expressed a goal of (at some point) conquering the west, reaching the Pillars of Herakles (i.e. Gibraltar) and thus rivaling that hero as well. When his troops refused to go on, Alexander chose (without much hesitation, once it was clear they really wouldn't go further east) to head back west, where he made future campaign plans (namely Arabia first, and then Carthage, which would allow him to reach the Pillars of Herakles-- needless to say, he died before that happened). It's generally believed that his conquest of arabia was meant to provide him with a springboard for a future invasion of India at a later time. (Having Arabia would make supplying his armies by sea much easier, after all). Given these factors, it is hard to imagine a scenario wherein Alexander opts to abandon his empire and go further into India as an explorer. Everything indicates he was planning to just go back west, and return to India as a conqueror later on. So while tempting, I'd suggest skipping that POD.

The other POD is much earlier. The reconciliation of Philippos II and Olympias never occurs, Alexander is never restored as heir, and he stays in Epeiros in exile with his mother and a small band of close friends. Philippos has another son, Alexander and Olympias become a clear threat, Philippos puts pressure on Epeiros to have them either sent to him as hostages or killed (or he invades outright)... end result is that Alexander has to flee for his life with his closest friends, pursued by his father's men, with no claim to his name. He ends up seeking refuge among his father's enemies: the Persians. In a great twist of irony, a surviving Pjilippos attempts to invade Persia... and is defeated by their mercenary general: his own son, Alexander. After this war, Persia is very secure, and Alexander becomes a great explorer, funded by the Akhaimenid dynasty (after all, this keeps him far away, ensduring he's no threat to them).

Needless to say, this eventually gives us A L E X A N D E R I N K O R E A ;)
 
There are two main PODs I can think of for this.

One is the one you allude to: that he decides to go on with a small cohort of volunteers after his army refuses to continue on. It's not very likely, because he was primarily set on conquering a vast empire. Exploring was part of it, but that was primarily related to a romantic notion of rivaling the mythic achievements of ancient gods and heroes. Alexander wanted to be Herakles and Dionysos combined. The conquering hero and the discoveror of the world's mysteries. He had this idea that the mythical mountain of Nysa (associated with Dionysos = "god of nysa"), said to be "in the East" was somewhere in northern India, and he'd very much like to reach it. But at the same time, he also expressed a goal of (at some point) conquering the west, reaching the Pillars of Herakles (i.e. Gibraltar) and thus rivaling that hero as well. When his troops refused to go on, Alexander chose (without much hesitation, once it was clear they really wouldn't go further east) to head back west, where he made future campaign plans (namely Arabia first, and then Carthage, which would allow him to reach the Pillars of Herakles-- needless to say, he died before that happened). It's generally believed that his conquest of arabia was meant to provide him with a springboard for a future invasion of India at a later time. (Having Arabia would make supplying his armies by sea much easier, after all). Given these factors, it is hard to imagine a scenario wherein Alexander opts to abandon his empire and go further into India as an explorer. Everything indicates he was planning to just go back west, and return to India as a conqueror later on. So while tempting, I'd suggest skipping that POD.

The other POD is much earlier. The reconciliation of Philippos II and Olympias never occurs, Alexander is never restored as heir, and he stays in Epeiros in exile with his mother and a small band of close friends. Philippos has another son, Alexander and Olympias become a clear threat, Philippos puts pressure on Epeiros to have them either sent to him as hostages or killed (or he invades outright)... end result is that Alexander has to flee for his life with his closest friends, pursued by his father's men, with no claim to his name. He ends up seeking refuge among his father's enemies: the Persians. In a great twist of irony, a surviving Pjilippos attempts to invade Persia... and is defeated by their mercenary general: his own son, Alexander. After this war, Persia is very secure, and Alexander becomes a great explorer, funded by the Akhaimenid dynasty (after all, this keeps him far away, ensduring he's no threat to them).

Needless to say, this eventually gives us A L E X A N D E R I N K O R E A ;)

Thinking too small. The Imperial Family of Japan traces their descent to the mythical traveller and hero from the unknown West, Arekusandā, who arrived and overthrew the previous regime.
 
Thinking too small. The Imperial Family of Japan traces their descent to the mythical traveller and hero from the unknown West, Arekusandā, who arrived and overthrew the previous regime.

Still too small.

The legends of the Chinook tribes of the Pacific Northwest vary, but one of the most common describes a legendary founder, Al-is-kan-da, who traveled from a great city across a great land and a great sea. He became lost at sea, praying to Tsi-us for mercy. Tsi-us granted his wish, creating a great storm that carried him to shore.

When he landed, he found a village of Tsinúk who took him in. He became a great leader, organizing the Tsinúk men into a strong army that defeated those who stood before them. He founded the village of Na-tio-ka and built the first temple to Tsi-us there.

Scientists remain baffled at the apparent similarities between the traditional Chinook faith and Hellenistic paganism to this day.
 
Still too small :D

ALL PUNCHAUOS or eternal empire of the Sun warrior god...

zaWo2nH.jpg



:D :D :D
 
Last edited:

Kaze

Banned
Would not the versions of the Alexander Legend count as adventures - seducing Queen Candice of Kush, seducing the Amazon Queen, finding Eden or the Fountain of Youth, fighting giants and other mythical creatures, trying to walk under water*, etc? Or do you mean real adventures?

* - According to some histories, Alexander the Great placed a glass bowl onto his head and walked under water. He started to lay plans to add Atlantis to his empire, but was assassinated before he could do so.
 
My Macedonian history is a bit rusty, but from what I remember, part of what drove Alexander the Great's campaigns was his wanderlust. I know this might require a very different Alexander than the one we got, but how far could Alexander hage gotten into Asia if he had been an explorer or merchant like Marco Polo? IOTL, after Hydaspes, he wanted to keep going into India, and maybe into China, but his men had had enough. Could he have gotten as dar as he did, or even further, without an army (or pikemen at least)?

Any thoughts?

A trader has a lot less protection than a king heading a large army. He might reach far into India as a trader, but getting further or back would be a lot harder. I dont think he would get much older than OTL as a trader or explorer.

If he would though, in those days his travels wouldn't go as noticed as that of Marco Polo, less ability to record his discoveries and tie cultures and trade routes. All that would be left are stories.
 
NASA scientists continue to be baffled by the gigantic statue of what appears to be a man on Mars as well as what appears to be an inscription in ancient Macedonian reading "Alexander was here".
 
It all goes to explain why Chuck Norris has blonde hair- he has to be descended from the great one who walked under water to South America - and conquered the Martian tribes - it must be in his genes?
 
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