Hey everyone! I’m a longtime lurker on the forum, and I just wanted to gauge interest for a new project I’ve been working on lately: Ides to Ashes. The basic premise is that Julius Caesar avoids his infamous assassination, allowing him to accomplish most of his planned goals before his death (I’m not going to reveal the specific POD, but I already have something in mind). I’ve been doing extensive research for this TL, and I already have rough outline planned out. Before moving forward, I just wanted to ask some questions, receive some feedback, and hear your thoughts!
To start, here are two big ones I’ve been grappling with lately:
To start, here are two big ones I’ve been grappling with lately:
- Would the conspiracy against Caesar inevitably be uncovered? Considering that, in OTL, there were literally 60 conspirators plotting against the man, I’ve been leaning towards the opinion that it would have been uncovered. I really want to keep Cassius, Brutus, and Decimus alive however as I’ve been concocting some crazy scenarios involving them later. I was just wondering if having the conspiracy simply fall apart and be kept a secret for years would be plausible or not.
- How would a Dacian Campaign realistically look? How could Caesar realistically crush Burebista? This has been a major focus of my research lately as I’ve been reading up on obscure Balkan politics and the various campaigns of commanders like Crassus Scythicus, Domitian, and Trajan in the area. This has raised a number of questions. For instance, would Caesar realistically be able to lure a seasoned general like Burebista into a battle where he could crush him? What type of terrain would he use to his advantage? What tactics? How long would it take for Burebista to assemble an army and march down to meet the Roman threat? Could a group of legions move through the Iron Gates without much trouble? Would a short Dacian Campaign be feasible? I do have a rough idea for how the war is going to go, but this has all been on my mind lately.