WI: The Diadochi

What if the second child of Olympias with Philip II had been a son, a healthy boy, instead of a daughter?
Philip having not the need to secure his succession by having a new son, he doesn't marry Cleopatra Eurydice who becomes instead the wife of Alexander. She becomes pregnant and gives to Alexander a son before he begins his conquest of the Persian empire.
Of course, after the assassination of Philip, Alexander had his brother executed.
Alexander dies at Babylon, in june 323 BC as IOTL, while his son is 12 or 13 years old.
What could be the consequences in the power struggle following the death of Alexander III the Great?
 
I think it depends who comes out on top in the ensuing power struggle. Remeber, Cassander had no problem executing Alexanders legitimate son.
 
Besides that the nobles had (especially Attalus) forced Philip II to divorce Olympias and marry Attalus's niece as in their eyes Olympias and her children were considered something like "semi-barbarians" and the nobles wished for a pure-blood macedonian queen and heir...
 
Besides that the nobles had (especially Attalus) forced Philip II to divorce Olympias and marry Attalus's niece as in their eyes Olympias and her children were considered something like "semi-barbarians" and the nobles wished for a pure-blood macedonian queen and heir...

Olympias was an Epirote and Alexander was only half-Macedonian. :p
 
Well what happens is I believe Eumenes and a few other DIaodachi loyal to Alexander will support his son most likely against Cassander and other Diaodachi. So you could see a civil war beetween the Diaodachi, one side led by the loyal generals of Alexander and the other lead by the ambitious generals who want to sieze power.
 
The problem with that is that a potential Alexander's son would still be a minor when his father dies in faraway lands so a regent would be appointed.
Partition of the Empire among ambitious generals seems to be almost guaranteed since a vast state like this needs a strong adult king and not a mere child under the influence of regents.
 
The problem with that is that a potential Alexander's son would still be a minor when his father dies in faraway lands so a regent would be appointed.
Partition of the Empire among ambitious generals seems to be almost guaranteed since a vast state like this needs a strong adult king and not a mere child under the influence of regents.
true so we may see the wars of diaodachi hapening anyway. But with a good POD we can achieve a different outcome than otl.
 
If Attalus becomes the father-in-law of Alexander, he would be appointed as regent of Macedonia instead of Antipater.
 
Now, I'm not sure that a brother of Alexander would be executed following the death of their father, as the threat that Amyntas was isn't the same that a brother of Alexander would be, as the former had been king a time, but not the latter.
We can imagine that he would appointed as Regent of Macedonia instead of Antipater.
We can also imagine that he would face the same situation that Antipater before the death of Alexander.
In a such TL, I think it would be very likely that he becomes Regent.
The Regency would be strong and the empire not fall apart.
Of course, he could dethrone Alexander IV as his father had done with King Amyntas. What could be the reaction of the greek nobility?

If Alexander IV survives, we can imagine that he would be married to a persian princess by his father to cement the unity of the empire.
 
We are in summer 323 BC, Alexander the Great is died.
His brother, just arrived from Macedonia, claims the Regency.
However, he is suspected to be responsible of the death of his brother and to want usurping the throne.
Civil war breaks out.

Who would side with the Regent?
 
Now, I'm not sure that a brother of Alexander would be executed following the death of their father, as the threat that Amyntas was isn't the same that a brother of Alexander would be, as the former had been king a time, but not the latter.
We can imagine that he would appointed as Regent of Macedonia instead of Antipater.
We can also imagine that he would face the same situation that Antipater before the death of Alexander.
In a such TL, I think it would be very likely that he becomes Regent

Actually, there's a very good chance the Macedonian nobility would chose Alexander's brother as King, not Regent.
 
Top