WI: Perdiccas not assassinated?

Perdiccas was assassinated in Egypt after a failed river crossing left him open to a plot to assassinate him. Of course, only two days later, when Ptolemy had taken command of Perdiccas' troops (he had been in on the plot), news arrived of Eumenes' great victory where he personally killed Neoptolemus and where Craterus was also killed. As Diodorus put it, "had [the arrival of the news] happened two days before Perdiccas' death, no one would have dared lift a finger against him, because of the magnitude of his success"

As it was, the Macedonians declared the Greek Eunenes a traitor (of course with the urging of Ptolemy) and were condemned to be executed. But what if the news had arrived 2 days earlier and Perdiccas is a mr to use it as a lripaganda victory to his troops and not get assassinated? How does his war with Ptolemy play out, and the overarching successor wars?
 
Last edited:
Perdiccas tries some more, either fails massively, still leading to his death and leading to a great loss of prestige, or wins, placing a confidante in control of Egypt, taking the body of Alexander, and marches to Macedon with the body so Antipater will be forced to submit. At least, that was the original plan.

Or he breaks off the attack and heads leaves a big force behind in Jerusalem and goes off to help Eumenes.

Antipater Antigonus vs Eumenes and Perdiccas. Perdiccas would have the royal army but Antipater surely wouldn't have a small army either, seeing as he controls Macedon. Eumenes is good, but Antigonus is his equal if not better.

Big fight. I think Antigonus and Antipater might be able to get some troops to desert Perdiccas with rumours of him going to displace Alexander.
 
Antipater Antigonus vs Eumenes and Perdiccas. Perdiccas would have the royal army but Antipater surely wouldn't have a small army either, seeing as he controls Macedon. Eumenes is good, but Antigonus is his equal if not better.

Big fight. I think Antigonus and Antipater might be able to get some troops to desert Perdiccas with rumours of him going to displace Alexander.

I'd argue Eumenes was superior to Antigonus, and probably would have beaten him had it not been for him being a Greek and the handicaps that brought on his effort. But that's a discussion for another time methinks.
 
So lets say Perdiccas wins and remains as Regent. Would Alexander IV grow up to become King of Kings and ruler of his father's empire or would he have the same fate as OTL and be executed quietly?
 
So lets say Perdiccas wins and remains as Regent. Would Alexander IV grow up to become King of Kings and ruler of his father's empire or would he have the same fate as OTL and be executed quietly?
Well Perdiccas was almost certainly looking to do the same thing Phillip did with Amyntas. So essentially, Perdiccas is in it for himself in the long run. He was planning for a long regency-after all, it wouldn't be for 16 years at least that Alexander IV would be really fit to rule. That's more than enough time for him to consolidate power himself and either firmly put him under his authority or get rid of him eventually.
 
Top