WI: Cleopatra and/or Antony escape to India?

Parmenion

Apparently after Actium Cleopatra came up with plan to escape to India. The plan ran into trouble and Antony convinced her to give up. What if it worked? Could the two of them make a name for themselves in the Greco-Indian kingdoms?
 
Avrorrange

Avrorrange

Parmenion said:
Apparently after Actium Cleopatra came up with plan to escape to India. The plan ran into trouble and Antony convinced her to give up. What if it worked? Could the two of them make a name for themselves in the Greco-Indian kingdoms?
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With what army? Whatever wealth they bring likely get seized by the local potentate in India.
 

dwkelley

IIRC, this was actually Pompey's idea after Pharsalus. Go to India (or at least, somewhere beyond the Persians), and get himself hired as a general or advisor. I'm not sure if Antony could pull that off. Perhaps if Cleopatra brings Ceasarion?
 

Lalli

Even if they manage to flee to India or even to Persia, I can't see them having lot if any influence. Them hardly have army and lot of money/treasures which with could bribe local king. So they at best would live pretty fine life in exile until their natural deaths. Eventually they and their possible descendants would fade to obscurity.
 

CommieScum

Parmenion said:
Apparently after Actium Cleopatra came up with plan to escape to India. The plan ran into trouble and Antony convinced her to give up. What if it worked? Could the two of them make a name for themselves in the Greco-Indian kingdoms?
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Someone's just watched Historia Civilis, eh?
To clarify for this thread, apparently she wanted to flee to the Indo-Greek Kingdom. But I agree with others that they would probably not have much impact in the grand scheme, atleast in India. But if Cleopatra manages to escape with her wealth, that would be a good chunk Octavian misses out on
 

Tibi088

So would Octavian send only asassins or maybe even armies after them (especially if Cesarion is there too)? The latter might be interesting
 
Chernabog90

Chernabog90

Lalli said:
Even if they manage to flee to India or even to Persia, I can't see them having lot if any influence. Them hardly have army and lot of money/treasures which with could bribe local king. So they at best would live pretty fine life in exile until their natural deaths. Eventually they and their possible descendants would fade to obscurity.
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Anthony is probably one of the best general of his time, so I could probably see him serve some indian king if he went to exile
 

Lalli

Tibi088 said:
So would Octavian send only asassins or maybe even armies after them (especially if Cesarion is there too)? The latter might be interesting
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Assassins surely but not sure if he would send armies. It would be logisitcally too hard and Roman Empire was still recovering from its civil wars.
 

Tibi088

Lalli said:
Assassins surely but not sure if he would send armies. It would be logisitcally too hard and Roman Empire was still recovering from its civil wars.
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Because of the civil wars the army has grown way too big - IIRC Octavian decreased it from 50 legions to only 28 legions. Lets say that instead of dismantling 22 legions he points some of them east - maybe through Persia.

edit: of course assassins are way more likely. But if we want to make anything interesting of this timeline...

edit2: If we want to add a bit of a drama to the whole, Cleopatra manages to beguile whoever is the ruler of the Indo-greek Kingdom at the time, betrays Anthony and manages to become a relevant political figure with rumors reaching Rome that she wants to convince her new lover to retake Egypt and become a new Alexander
 
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Lalli

Tibi088 said:
Because of the civil wars the army has grown way too big - IIRC Octavian decreased it from 50 legions to only 28 legions. Lets say that instead of dismantling 22 legions he points some of them east - maybe through Persia.

edit: of course assassins are way more likely. But if we want to make anything interesting of this timeline...

edit2: If we want to add a bit of a drama to the whole, Cleopatra manages to beguile whoever is the ruler of the Indo-greek Kingdom at the time, betrays Anthony and manages to become a relevant political figure with rumors reaching Rome that she wants to convince her new lover to retake Egypt and become a new Alexander
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Logisitcs would be still really horrible speciality if legions should send to India. Assassins are still much more practical than go war over former pharaoh and her lover. Another and pretty possible way is that Augustus speaks give their heads.
 
Denliner

Denliner

Either they die as moderately wealthy Greek noblemen in the Indo-Greek Kingdom or they get assassinated by Augustus because of the threat that they and Caesarion pose to his attempts at consolidating power back at the Roman Empire. Regardless, his other children will probably live and most likely pass down their bloodline in India so not all is lost.

I would find it hilarious if some Hellenized king in the Indus who was descended from Cleopatra & Antony attempted to reform the Indo-Greek Kingdom to fight back against a new set of nomadic invaders. I'd read the heck out of that timeline.
 

Parmenion

To be clear, the plan was to convert as many mediterranean ships to make the trip as possible. It wouldn't just be the two of them, they'd take their money and probably as many troops as possible.
 

Lalli

Parmenion said:
To be clear, the plan was to convert as many mediterranean ships to make the trip as possible. It wouldn't just be the two of them, they'd take their money and probably as many troops as possible.
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They hardly are able to take many ships. Probably lucky if they can take that ship which with they are fleeing.
 
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