Ides to Ashes: Planning Thread

[CrassusFantastic]

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.

 

[TheHandsomeBrute]

A bit late but I don't think you will mind.

1) If the conspiracy does nothing before Caesar leaves for the East it might just crumble away before Caesar Triumphant becomes the new normal. That means also one or all three have a long time to come to peace with Caesar ruling.

If the plot is uncovered or fails the story is different. They will not be killed, but they are politically dead and their carriers are over for as long as Caesar remains in power. All three have connections close to Caesar that can plead for his their lives if execution is even contemplated, very much in the style that Caesar mothers family did for him when Sulla wanted Caesars head. However biggest likely they are sent into exile and live the rest of their live in Massalia, they wont be in Rome or have the opportunity to do crazy scenarios.

2) Most realistically Caesar isn't going to conquer the Dacians on the way to Syria, that will require some years even with someone like Caesar. Burebista might submit to Caesar without fighting on the underlying understanding that Burebista will continue to rule his Kingdom as he has done it. Those events are just as glorious for a Roman as a military victory!

--

I advise you just jump in, start writing and posting. The more you write the more you will want to update!

Good luck!

 

[isabella]

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:

1. 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.

Considering Caesar’s personality, I believe who NOT acting will be enough for keeping safe the conspirators… In particular Decimus, who was a secondary heir of Caesar Brutus, who was son of Cesar’s long time mistress and had possibly been engaged to Caesar’s daughter before she married Pompey, and Cassius, whose wife was likely Caesar’s illegitimate daughter (or less likely another of his mistresses)

 

[Calculon]

A bit late but I don't think you will mind.

1) If the conspiracy does nothing before Caesar leaves for the East it might just crumble away before Caesar Triumphant becomes the new normal. That means also one or all three have a long time to come to peace with Caesar ruling.

If the plot is uncovered or fails the story is different. They will not be killed, but they are politically dead and their carriers are over for as long as Caesar remains in power. All three have connections close to Caesar that can plead for his their lives if execution is even contemplated, very much in the style that Caesar mothers family did for him when Sulla wanted Caesars head. However biggest likely they are sent into exile and live the rest of their live in Massalia, they wont be in Rome or have the opportunity to do crazy scenarios.

2) Most realistically Caesar isn't going to conquer the Dacians on the way to Syria, that will require some years even with someone like Caesar. Burebista might submit to Caesar without fighting on the underlying understanding that Burebista will continue to rule his Kingdom as he has done it. Those events are just as glorious for a Roman as a military victory!

--

I advise you just jump in, start writing and posting. The more you write the more you will want to update!

Good luck!

The problem is Caesar already spared the lives of Brutus and Cassius for their parts in the civil war. Now they're trying to assassinate him in a plot. Exile in Massilia, or even anywhere around the Mediterranean, is out of the question since with the proper funds and transport they can be anywhere else around the sea within weeks. Hispania and Macedonia in particular are full of Pompeian veterans who'd be happy to have another go as evidenced by the post-assassination civil wars, and the king of the Parthians would be glad to host two Romans who could help in in the war Caesar was purportedly planning to wage against the Parthians.

 

[TheHandsomeBrute]

If Caesar is to retain his reputation of a merciful man it needs to cultivated at every possibility, especially when it involves Roman citizens.

Massilia is the classic destination for political exiles during the Roman Republic. Verres, the governor of Sicily who Cicero sues, is still their lounging about during Caesar civil war.

The former Pompeian soldiers are now Caesars men and it is Caesar who pays them. Brutus, Cassius, and Decimus cannot afford to pay for a legion.

 

[isabella]

Caesar will NOT kill them, He was pretty much against the execution of Roman citizens… Exile (either in a specific place or at least at a certain distance from Rome), loss of properties and citizen’s rights (and possibly also loss of trhe Roman citizenship) would be more than enough as punishment