Alexander the Great
The year is 323 BCE.
The empire of Alexander the Great stretches from Macedon to the Indus River. What began as a campaign of revenge against Persia has become the largest empire the known world has ever seen. After defeating Darius III, conquering Egypt, burning Persepolis, and marching into the edges of India, Alexander now rules an empire too vast to control by force alone. But conquest is easier than consolidation. Macedonian veterans grumble at the integration of Persians into command positions. Persian nobles resent foreign occupation. Greek city-states remain restless. Satraps govern provinces with near-autonomous power. The treasury is immense—but so are the costs of maintaining garrisons across three continents. Alexander has adopted elements of Persian court ritual—proskynesis, royal attire, divine imagery—raising fears among Macedonians that their king is becoming more “Great King” than “first among equals.” Rumors circulate that Alexander intends to move the imperial capital east, that Persian nobles are plotting restoration. On other fronts, certain generals are consolidating power for the inevitable succession crisis. The crisis is only complicated by the fact that the army, exhausted and far from home, may refuse further campaigns.
The War Council is convened in Babylon to determine the next stage of the empire’s future.
Officially, this council exists to discuss:
Future campaigns (Arabia? Carthage? Consolidation?)
Military restructuring
Governance reforms
Succession planning (though never openly stated)
Unofficially, it is a battlefield of ambition.
Alexander’s empire has no stable succession mechanism. His half-brother is mentally unfit. His wife is pregnant but the child is unborn. His generals—Companions forged in blood—are loyal… for now.
History hangs in the balance.
