It's 2008, looking back at history over the last couple of millennia, what has happened? Hannibal wiped out Scipio, and went on to conquer Rome itself. Try to use historical knowledge, geography, some thoughts towards what sociological thought would be, political thought. If you want to focus on minutiae, try not to, or start a new thread titled-Alt-history #1a or something. This can be a fun mental challenge.
Ok, I guess I'll do the first question... Who becomes the big guy? Carthage? Egypt? Greece? They all have the potential.
Nice question, Ham! This is not a period I am strong on at all -- but just to get things started . . . Let's remember that in looking at Hannibal we are going way back before the days of the Roman Empire (i.e. before the Emperors). In 200BC, Rome holds most of Italy. Cathage holds sway over a far greater area: not only North Africa but also much of Spain. The conflict between them is over maritime trade rather than land. Geographically, it is hard to see Carthage as the capital of a European empire in the long run -- even if victorious over Rome. (Just as the victories of Alexander did not lead to a Middle-Eastern empire centred on Greece.) So my thoughts are these. [1] Would a victorious Carthage have dealt out to Rome the carnage and destruction that the Romans ultimately visited on Carthage? [2] In the absence of Rome, would some other European city have become the centre of an Empire? Marseille perhaps (given that Gaul was the most densely populated area of Europe)? [3] Or would the Greeks have built a new post-Alexandrian Empire?
Considering their naval power, and the stagnation of Egypt, I like the Carthaginians for Empire, but not as expansive as Rome. I'm thinking a Grecian Empire in western meditterranean, Carthage holding the East. The Greeks and Carthage fought a few times away from Greece, and Greece lost. I think Gaul and Germania form cities like their neighbors and go to war with each other, with the Carthaginians going as far north as Iceland and Scandinavia and as far south as South Africa.
This one is what I call a deep one...a long way back, anything could happen. I understand your fear of it. Pick a point, though. With no Roman Empire to fall, do we have renaissance/industrial revolution early? Does anyone make a fuss about road building? Does christianity even start? If so, is it just a backwater Judaic Cult?
If Hannibal sacked Rome and destroyed the Roman Armies I think eventually the barbarians would have sacked Carthage's version of Rome. Especially since it would have been a province of Carthage. In any event I think Feudalism would have still sprung up in Europe which lead to our present situation. From what I recall Carthage was a seafaring nation but they were not Empire builders. For some reason I'm thinking Carthage was Phoenicia who were known for their sea trading. They may have even done business with China and India back then. Rome's act of crushing Carthage may have been a step or two back in the scheme of civilized progress and scientific exploration. Sort of like when the Spaniards wiped out the libraries in South America. Maybe those 'savages' could have taught us a thing or two.
Would they have therefore set up a series of puppet states around the shores of Africa, just as the European powers started to do 15-1800 years later? With no Roman Empire to their north, they could have concentrated their attention on Africa.
Interesting... Perhaps Africa becomes the First World, and the worship of Ba'al is the world's biggest religion. Human sacrifice is common, perhaps an entirely different moral code. Maybe the Gauls and Franks and Goths become more "civilized" by the Greek example. The renaissance starts 600 years early, temples to zeus being built all over europe. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
