Macedonian Conquest

[sythin]

I have a question about ancient Macedonian conquests. Is there any real reason for why Macedonia didn't campaign in southern Italy? Alexander the Great goes about 2000+ miles in one direction, but never in the next 100-150 years do any Macedonian kings every go 50 miles across strait of Ortanto to southern Italy. Dose anybody have an explanation for this? The only theory I could come up with was that the Macedonians didn't have the male population to form an army at the time.

[Furius Venator]

Possibly it was because the various successors to Alexander were too busy fighting amongst themselves to bother with things further west.

 

Excepy Phyrrus of course and the Romans pretty much gave him as good as they got.

Edited May 28, 2006 by Furius Venator

[AEGYPTUS]

Didnt Alexander have plans to invade Italy before he died in Babylon? imagine how different history would have been if Macedonia had conquered Italy.

[Neos Dionysos]

I have a question about ancient Macedonian conquests. Is there any real reason for why Macedonia didn't campaign in southern Italy? Alexander the Great goes about 2000+ miles in one direction, but never in the next 100-150 years do any Macedonian kings every go 50 miles across strait of Ortanto to southern Italy. Dose anybody have an explanation for this? The only theory I could come up with was that the Macedonians didn't have the male population to form an army at the time.

 

At Alexander's time, Rome was nothing more than some barbarian tribal group, (from the view point of Alexander and the Greeks and Macedonians), what was important and worth going West was Scily, Magna Graecia and Carthage. Also, an explaination why Alexander went East was besides his desire to punish Persia for all of her years of meddling in the affairs of the Greek world and also because he wanted to not only imitate the Gods but surpass them. The Gods being Heracles and Dionysos who both travelled far to the lands of the East, (into Sogdia, Baktria, over the Hindu-Kush), and were not only adventurers but 'conquerors' according to the myths. He wanted to out do them, to show that not only was he equal to them, but better. This is I think, one of the most important reasons for his eastward movements after Persia had been defeated.

[Rameses the Great]

Didnt Alexander have plans to invade Italy before he died in Babylon? imagine how different history would have been if Macedonia had conquered Italy.

 

Yes he did, he also planned to conquer Carthage. His unfortunate death stopped the Macedonian dominance. The central government had to segment the lands among his successor's. He actually showed more desire for Persian culture than his own. So he was going to conquer Rome, he just could not mellow down and died at a result of constant anxiety for battle.

 

Also once he conquered Rome and Carthage he would have went to the end of the universe to conquer anything. That is just the thing that made him Alexander the Great.

 

You can just tell that I'm an Alexander guy all the way.

Edited May 29, 2006 by Rameses the Great

[Neos Dionysos]

Yes he did, he also planned to conquer Carthage. His unfortunate death stopped the Macedonian dominance. The central government had to segment the lands among his successor's. He actually showed more desire for Persian culture than his own. So he was going to conquer Rome, he just could not mellow down and died at a result of constant anxiety for battle.

 

 

I am really of the impression that Alexander would not have been ever able to go West, because he would have died, if not in combat, then by his own push to 'keep going' he would have killed himself. His drinking orgies, the way he took care of himself, (his wounds never healed against the Malians), etc. If that was not his undoing, I think his own generals would have off'd him, since Alexander would not just 'stop' and settle down. The army mutinied a couple times while he was alive, and after his death more so, his generals, (except for PERHAPS his CLOSEST), would have discreetly killed him because, they were tired and did not want to continue campagining. Alexander was... lol... Alexander, unique among men of history, someone who was never satisfied, always wanting more. Unless he changed generals, I think they had hit thier limits and I am a beleiver that his companions had a hand in his death.

Edited May 30, 2006 by Neos Dionysos

[PARTHICOS]

he didn't go west, because rome was not a threat to macedonia.

[Hitoriki Batosai]

the macedonians used phalangites most of the time instead of hoplites

[Rameses the Great]

the macedonians used phalangites most of the time instead of hoplites

 

Common misconception the hoplites were a specialty of Greece, not Macedonia.