WI: Sextus Pompey defeats Octavian in Sicily
- Thread starter Archon of Thessaly
- Start date
Octavian's heirs would be his nephews, Sextus Appuleius (who was about the same age as him), Marcus Appuleius, and Marcellus. I imagine the 'Caesar' name would go to Marcellus, his full nephew, but political pull would make the most sense to devolve on Appuleius.
So in the event of Octavians death at thurii, how much influence would these two have on events to come?
Impossible to say. Marcellus is no use because he's far too young. Even Appuleius would be untried and untested at this point; without the name and money of Caesar his scope of action is limited.
EDIT: Actually, as this is 37, Mark Antony is already married to Octavia and step-father of young Marcellus. With Marcellus (now declared Caesar Claudianus?) and Ptolemy Caesar (Caesarion) in his control, he has use of the 'Caesar' name and fortune. His best bet is to prop Cleopatra up as Queen of Kings and allied ruler of the East while returning west to secure the Republic. His brother Lucius Antonius was governor of Spain around this point, which makes for an interesting dynamic if he's still there/alive. An alliance with Sextus Pompeius is the most likely in my opinion. Sextus' daughter Pompeia was engaged to Marcellus, but I reckon Antony would transfer her over to his own son Antyllus. Caesar Claudianus could in turn marry Antonia, Antony's daughter. With Sextus at his side Antony arranges some new settlement (another triumvirate?), bullying the Senate and Lepidus into obedience. Any attempt by Agrippa at independent action is mercilessly quashed. Sextus gets his consulship and Antony returns east to Cleopatra and Parthia.
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So maybe appuleius attaches himself to someone like Antony? Also, could any form of marriage alliance between Antony and Pompey take place?
Sextus has a daughter, Pompeia. Antony had a few kids by then...don't know who would be eligible.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Antony#Marriages_and_issue
Check my edit above.
Sextus has a daughter, Pompeia, who was engaged to Marcellus, nephew of Octavian and step-son of Antony. Here I envision her and Marcellus marrying Antyllus and Antonia, the son and daughter of Antony, instead.
Antony controlling the empire through a link of puppets and supporters in positions across the empire, with sextus now bound to him through alliance and marriage ties. I see this arrangement working fantastically, and could even give Antony a chance to turn to conquering new provinces in the east.
Who would inherit this delicate web of alliances and puppets though?
Well, whatever happens this is an age for innovation and scandal. I imagine Antony's stupidity would, like OTL, allow the people left behind in the west to entrench themselves in public affection and the Senate against him. Antony, Sextus and Caesar Claudianus would all want to dispose of each other in time. Antyllus would be in position to inherit from both Sextus and Antony, provided they don't become rivals before he can marry Pompeia. Again, assuming Antonius and Cleopatra remain married/allies, Caesarion would inherit a renascent Ptolemaic Empire based in Egypt but including most of the East. The only suitable marriage for him would be his half-sister Cleopatra Selene, daughter of Antony and half-sister to Antyllus and Antonia (in this scenario the wife of Caesar Claudianus). That said, once Caesarion is grown and no longer feels like paying lip service to Rome, I would expect his empire to fracture off the eastern Med from Roman control.
So the roman empire is pulled apart then? That's extremely bad! In such a civil war, who would be on what side, and who would;d most likely win.
A thought. What if sextus still defeats Octavian in Sicily, but prior to this, Quintus labienus is either slightly more successful, or at the very least alive?
I think so. It seems Antony and Cleopatra's dream was to recreate the empire of Alexander, with a rather complicated arrangement of Antony serving Rome as proconsul and triumvir, Cleopatra as his consort and allied Queen of Kings, Caesarion as a junior co-ruler, and a bevy of other rulers (primarily Cleopatra's younger children) ruling as client kings. Or perhaps Caesarion as co-ruler and heir to a renewed Ptolemaic Empire, Philadelphus ruler of a renewed Seleucid Empire and Alexander Helios as ruler of Persia/Parthia. Either way, there would be little sense to maintain the nominal link to Rome once the whole East is in their hands. It's hard to imagine what sort of role Antony saw for himself, or for his son Antyllus, in the long-term. Ostensibly I imagine he'd want Antyllus to succeed him in the west, although in what capacity (dictator? king? Roman citizen?) is hard to say.
Assuming Antony dies in battle in the east, what then? If he is still allied to Sextus at this time, how does Cleopatra and Caesaion go about this sticky situation?
Hmmm. 34 was the time he reopened his campaign in Armenia correct? So, 34.
I would assume that Rome would not like this arrangement and try to crush the Ptolemies once Antony was dead. Given their poor military record and delicate control of the east (that relied on the legions to suppress anyway) i would suspect that the their new Egyptian empire will collapse pretty quickly-an event from which Sextus, with his large fleet and ability to control the Egyptian grain trade would probably benefit from the most....