WI: Alexander the Great decides to conquer Italy instead of India

[Some Guy From Mars]

I remember reading a novel with this premise years ago, but for the life of me, I can't remember the title. I dimly remember that it ended up with the Roman Republic becoming partners of some sort with the Macedonians.

I believe that would "A Choice Of Destinies" by Melissa Scott.

Essentially, a rebellion in Greece forces Alexander to return home before he can start campaigning in India.

 

[Alex Zetsu]

Wait, so Alexander looks at India where he was told of jungles, exotic plants (and spices!), fauna, and fertile land and then says "nope" and picks on some no-name power to the West? I mean Italy is key for Mediterranean supremacy, but I don't think anyone really thought about it until Rome. Heck, even powers like the Egyptian, Greek, and Persian navies didn't think really think beyond "beat the enemy of the last war and stop pirates"

 

[Napoleonrules]

Wait, so Alexander looks at India where he was told of jungles, exotic plants (and spices!), fauna, and fertile land and then says "nope" and picks on some no-name power to the West? I mean Italy is key for Mediterranean supremacy, but I don't think anyone really thought about it until Rome. Heck, even powers like the Egyptian, Greek, and Persian navies didn't think really think beyond "beat the enemy of the last war and stop pirates"

Well he probably would have first asked "what is a jungle and spices?" Whereas the west has things already explored and already being exported to his empire- tin and copper from Britain, Spain; grain from Carthage and those exotic items from beyond the Sahara; Greek and Carthaginian colonies exploiting Gaul and Italy.

 

[Maoistic]

Alexander wanted to conquer India for the challenge, not out of any political consideration. He basically wanted to prove he was a living god by conquering the biggest region known to the Greeks.

 

[Napoleonrules]

Alexander wanted to conquer India for the challenge, not out of any political consideration. He basically wanted to prove he was a living god by conquering the biggest region known to the Greeks.

Not even close. He conquered India because it was part of the Persian Empire. The Indus Valley has always and still is part of INDIA (India is more than just the name of a current republic nation-state). The biggest region known to the Greeks was Libya (what we call Africa). Alexander simply wanted to conquer the REST of India because it would mean conquering something the Persians hadn't been able to finish. But there is no mistaking- The Persian Empire that Alexander was conquering already included parts of India. Period.

 

[ar-pharazon]

Supposedly one of the reasons Alexander crossed the gedrosian desert was because previous Persian rulers had never done so.

He most definitely wanted to prove he was greater than the preceding Persian kings.

And was Porus' kingdom even apart of the Persian empire?

 

[Napoleonrules]

Supposedly one of the reasons Alexander crossed the gedrosian desert was because previous Persian rulers had never done so.

He most definitely wanted to prove he was greater than the preceding Persian kings.

And was Porus' kingdom even apart of the Persian empire?

In case the map doesn't make it clear and people don't want to research it- the answer to your question is- yes. Porus was the only king of the Pauravas known to exist before Alexander came. All evidence points that he was a local "big man" who took advantage of the collapse of Persian administration and became ruler; Alexander came along, whooped his butt, became impressed with him, and made him king of the local satrap in Alexander's name (a vassalage).
Edit- You do know he crossed the desert on his way BACK FROM India, right? And as the map shows the Persian Empire was well aware of what was on the other side- since it had administrative divisions there. And again- The lands of the Indus Valley are part of India. Period. If you have those, you are an Indian power.

 

[ar-pharazon]

Yes I know he crossed the desert back from India