If Rome never existed? · 12:24pm Sep 13th, 2021
Let's just say Italy was never unified, it was always divided by city-states. There are Celts, Greeks, Carthaginians, and other groups squabbling over it in endless wars. With Rome neutralized as a threat, who would rise as a superpower instead and fill the power vacuum?
I think most likely Carthage becomes a superpower. Has on and off war with Celts tribes, mostly turtles, and defends against them while holding onto Spain and North Africa. Gets harassed by desert tribes in the south in Africa but they're mostly a nuisance rather than a threat. Allied with some of them, enemies with others.
Carthage sends traders/explorers down south to make contact with sub-saharan Africa. Carthage gets new riches from distant trade. Establishes more port cities along the west African coast to make contact with southern tribes and get more trade goods. The carthaginians are descendants of the Phoenician, a seafaring people that loved to explore. The carthaginian may employ sub-saharan mercenaries to fight their wars in the far north against the Celts.
The Carthaginians may look westward, possibly reach the Americas centuries before the Vikings and Columbus. There they establish new colonies in the new world. At some point, they may have a civil war, and break apart into numerous new Kingdoms. The influence the Carthaginians could have on the native american cultures could be insane. Imagine seeing Mayans with war elephants?
Cuba could become a Carthaginian stronghold. Even if the homeland is lost, the Carthaginian could camp out there, even if Europe suffered a barbarian invasion or something.
My question is would there be a force capable of resisting a Persian or Mongolian Empire's advance? Without a Roman Empire built around an expansionist military could a Carthaginian trading empire which more uses mercenaries than soldiers be able to hold back a Persian tide from just sweeping across Europe?
5581325
The Greeks perhaps could rise again? Who knows.
5581326
Just occurred to me i had heard of an alternate history channel on Youtube and lo and behold i found this! So i will be watching this for the next... hour or so.
5581328
Yeah, I heard of that one. It's a great channel.
5581326
5581356
There was once a dream that was Rome. You could only whisper it. Anything more than a whisper and it would vanish.