WI Crassus Lives

What if Marcus Licinius Crassus followed the Armenian advice and from Armenia invaded Mesopotamia? he probably would just take Mesopotamia but that would in itself hugely increase his prestige and standing. The First Triumvirate would probably survive for a bit longer until one of them dies. Maybe Caesar runs for consul and is elected with Crassus. then they could turn on Pompey. What if?
 
I shamelessly post on my own thread to get a discussion going. This will also have interesting butterflies with Cleopatra and without Caesar's help she'll probably be murdered by her brother Ptolemy XIII, who then rules with his other sister Arsinoe. Crassus' son, Publius Crassus, will survive and could be a force in Roman politics. In a decade, Crassus will die and the Triumvirate will collapse.
 
If he goes through Armenia, Artavasdes has a trick up his sleeve to sabatoge him. His whole strategy was to play the Romans and Parthians off each other-hell during that very war he joined the Parthians. He was responsible for the failure of Antony's campaign by slipping away back to Armenia and letting the baggage train get slaughtered.

Plus, Crassus took the desert route because of the offer he had received a similar offer from an Arab king in the area.

But anyway, let's say Crassus takes the same route and everything happens the same. Except instead of a fight breaking out at his parley with the Parthians and the resulting slaughter of his men, he is able to retreat back to Roman territory in good order. Congratulations, the triumvirate is saved. Pompey won't begin to turn on Caesar. Crassus was the glue that kept the triumvirate together.

edit: and the collapsing of the triumvirate at Crassus' late death won't necessarily mean a face off between Pompey and Caesar. Remember, the triumvirate was just an informal understanding between the three men, compared to the second triumvirate which was a legally binding agreement ratified by the Senate. So you will most likely just see the triumvirate slip quietly into the dustbins of history.
Not to mention, Caesar won't be in the same lose-lose situation he was in that lead him to roll the dice. Even if Pompey does the unlikely thing of backing him into a corner, Crassus will bail him out and find a way to let him run for consul again, or at the very least escape prosecution. Though Cato would really be a thorn in his side.
 
If he goes through Armenia, Artavasdes has a trick up his sleeve to sabatoge him. His whole strategy was to play the Romans and Parthians off each other-hell during that very war he joined the Parthians. He was responsible for the failure of Antony's campaign by slipping away back to Armenia and letting the baggage train get slaughtered.

Plus, Crassus took the desert route because of the offer he had received a similar offer from an Arab king in the area.

But anyway, let's say Crassus takes the same route and everything happens the same. Except instead of a fight breaking out at his parley with the Parthians and the resulting slaughter of his men, he is able to retreat back to Roman territory in good order. Congratulations, the triumvirate is saved. Pompey won't begin to turn on Caesar. Crassus was the glue that kept the triumvirate together.

edit: and the collapsing of the triumvirate at Crassus' late death won't necessarily mean a face off between Pompey and Caesar. Remember, the triumvirate was just an informal understanding between the three men, compared to the second triumvirate which was a legally binding agreement ratified by the Senate. So you will most likely just see the triumvirate slip quietly into the dustbins of history.
Not to mention, Caesar won't be in the same lose-lose situation he was in that lead him to roll the dice. Even if Pompey does the unlikely thing of backing him into a corner, Crassus will bail him out and find a way to let him run for consul again, or at the very least escape prosecution. Though Cato would really be a thorn in his side.


So, while prolonging the Republic's short-term survival, the Republic is still doomed.
 
The republic isn't doomed. "The Last Generation of The Roman Republic" takes the case to the extreme, but it has a good point. I think Agricola could go more in depth on this one though than I can.
 
IF Crassus survives and succeed against the Persians...

maybe he can check out the internecine mini-civil war in Egypt and possibly he can make it into a semi-Roman protectorate province ahead of time....
 
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