Why didn't Alexander attack Carthage?

[aleksandros]

I read Cambyses II intended to launch an expedition against Carthage after Siwa, but the Phoenicians refused to join him. Why didnt Alexander attack Carthage when in Egypt? Was he in a hurry or Carthaginians sent envoys to assure they ll cause him no trouble?

[Paralus]

He had unfinished business awaiting him in the heart of the Persian Empire.

[rocktupac]

Not only did Alexander have unfinished business with Darius in Asia, I highly doubt that Alexander would have abandoned his plans (albeit perhaps personal plans) to conquer the entire Persian Empire and become lord of Asia. Many believe he kept pushing east to conquer the lands as far as Ocean, the body of water believed to border India. It just would have made sense to continue to travel east under the pretenses of 'going after Darius' to help persuade his men. He may have told his men that as long as Darius were alive everything they did could be easily undone. Darius had to be taken, alive or dead, in order for the Greeks to assure themselves that the cities in Asia Minor would stay free. Thus it gave a better reason to resume an eastward campaign. And with Alexander, I don't really think east or west would have mattered, to conquer was to conquer. Simple as that, direction didn't matter. (But of course he had better reason to go east).

[jasonxx]

As Paralus said Alexander had other fish to fry... But returning to babylon and if we can trust the journals of Western Conquests. I would bet my hind teeth Carthage would indeed be on the Menu.

Carthage at that time was pretty powerful and dominant of the Mediteranian prior to the Rise of Rome.

Indeed Carthage would have offered a challenge of conquest and more imprtant a vital point of Mediteranian control. taking Carthage would give Alexander a choice of invading Europe from The hellespont and carthage. With his huge wealth and resources. Alexander could afford a 2 army invasion of Europe and take Europe more easily than hitting it from Greece.

Only a though strategically of course.

Kenny

[jasonxx]

And of Course with The Carthaginian Phonecian fleet in his power he would control All The Mediteranian And Aegian Coasts and Transport. His power would me militarilistically complete.

[aleksandros]

jason i dont think western europe matter to him at all.
lets not forget the envoys sent by the celts and the peoples who dwelled around Danube crowning him as king. These were pretty barbaric natives who posed no threat to the civilized world and of course there was no gold to be had there.
I think Alexander might have sent somebody like Craterus to conquer northern Italy since Alexander of Epirus was defeated there while Alexander was in Asia.

Alexander was always careful of his back and we see that throught his campaign, even from the very beginning, so i believe that he was assured that Carthaginians would pose no threat. And thats pretty easy to guess cause the Carthaginians were not stupid, they had seen what happened to the persians and the phoenicians so far and they knew their army is inferior of Darius' and Carthage's city walls inferior of Tyre's.

They just waited and it turned out okay since independence would be lost in no less than 100 years later.

[jasonxx]

Alexanthros

With all respect I think you may be a little Naive.

Indeed I agree what was the point aiming west. I live in the Uk and cant ever understand why the Romans comming from a nice warm country would want this wet cold crap country.

Back to Alexander. Do we think of him as a conqueror or an Adeventurer I would call him both and do believe he would go on and on. For conquest and or to see what was over the next mountain. Or indeed did Alexander want to rule what ever world he discovered? Had he lived longer its madness to think he would have stopped. If he were not the adventuror Conqueror, Then He would have stopped after Gaugamela. It was only he that prefabricated the threats of Bessus and Darius for him to keep going.

He had already defeated the heavy weight champ at that Time Persia. Ok italy was only worth a bag of washers at the time of Alexander but as you say he may have gone after them because of his cousins defeat. Carthage at that time I would say was the pick of the crop. Then who Knows all Europe Back to India China.

He would have battled somewhere. Not the type to sit reading.

Kenny

[aleksandros]

jason i dont mind calling me names its ok.

i am here only to make friends anyways.

By my previous post i didnt mean to say that Alexander would stay doing nothing. I just think there were other priorities than northwestern Europe. The 'empires' of Ganges were more important than villagemen who couldnt write their own language. And his adventurous nature was much more intrigued by the unknown Ocean of the East than the known ocean of the west. If i had to bet money on his later exploits i d say Arabia for for trade routes to be established from india to Alexandria (since the india-babylon trade route was already established), northern Italy, Carthage, complete greek control of the western meditteranean for greek shiping and trade, protection of the emporiae, anti-piracy and then i d go for Ganges and China than northern europe... exploration of the polynesian complexes and a map of Australia.

i dont believe he would go for further exploration, cause if we had that kind of an empire established the problems would be too many for him to keep busy, but with all the gold of the world you never know, maybe some wannabe Pytheases would be financed just to try and travel everywhere...

[jasonxx]

Alexanthros,,,, Sorry For Any offence.

I guess the idea of India China etc is tantalizing. But Just how realistic to govern.

The Romans learned you can only go so far and become so big it becomes Manageable. Alexander couldnt manage or keep an eye on what he had already concuered. Once his back was turned his so called mates and trusted administers were on the gravy train making taking alll forts of things for themselves. So much so he hadto execute hundreds for taking The Piss as we say in England

The Romans went so far ther conceded and built hadrians wall, Then the Empire was Split in 2 Rome and Constantinople.

Kenny

[aleksandros]

awww thats normal he only came back once. i meant no serious military revolt was provoked in his back.

[Paralus]

I just think there were other priorities than northwestern Europe. The 'empires' of Ganges were more important than villagemen who couldnt write their own language. And his adventurous nature was much more intrigued by the unknown Ocean of the East than the known ocean of the west. If i had to bet money on his later exploits i d say Arabia for for trade routes to be established from india to Alexandria (since the india-babylon trade route was already established), northern Italy, Carthage, complete greek control of the western meditteranean for greek shiping and trade, protection of the emporiae, anti-piracy and then i d go for Ganges and China than northern europe... exploration of the polynesian complexes and a map of Australia.

I was aware of the "Alexander Romances". I wasn't aware, until now, that there was a modern one though...

[marcus]

I just think there were other priorities than northwestern Europe. The 'empires' of Ganges were more important than villagemen who couldnt write their own language. And his adventurous nature was much more intrigued by the unknown Ocean of the East than the known ocean of the west. If i had to bet money on his later exploits i d say Arabia for for trade routes to be established from india to Alexandria (since the india-babylon trade route was already established), northern Italy, Carthage, complete greek control of the western meditteranean for greek shiping and trade, protection of the emporiae, anti-piracy and then i d go for Ganges and China than northern europe... exploration of the polynesian complexes and a map of Australia.

I was aware of the "Alexander Romances". I wasn't aware, until now, that there was a modern one though...

Oh, one of my friends told me recently, in an email (and so I might not have detected any facetiousness), that Alexander "is supposed to have made it to Australia".

Said friend does live in Brisbane, which might account for the quaint faith in tall tales ...

ATB

[aleksandros]

I just think there were other priorities than northwestern Europe. The 'empires' of Ganges were more important than villagemen who couldnt write their own language. And his adventurous nature was much more intrigued by the unknown Ocean of the East than the known ocean of the west. If i had to bet money on his later exploits i d say Arabia for for trade routes to be established from india to Alexandria (since the india-babylon trade route was already established), northern Italy, Carthage, complete greek control of the western meditteranean for greek shiping and trade, protection of the emporiae, anti-piracy and then i d go for Ganges and China than northern europe... exploration of the polynesian complexes and a map of Australia.

I was aware of the "Alexander Romances". I wasn't aware, until now, that there was a modern one though...

did i say he did all those things? whats wrong with you people!

and these would have been much more easier to him than those he had achieved.

[Phoebus]

I'd like to point out that it took Alexander roughly 10 years to go from Granicus to India and back. Dynamic as he was, Alexander had an expiration date. Even if he had lived beyong his early 30s, I think it's safe to say that wounds, hardship, etc. would have limited his travels to the relative vicinity of his existing empire (as in, the Mediterranean and/or Arabia)--something that is validated by the plans he supposedly had outlined.

Personally, I don't see Alexander sending out field marshals to accomplish the feats you listed (northern Europe, farther out in Asia) in his place. The man was an adventurer in every sense of the word, and I don't think it fits his profile to to see others find new lands in his name. The exception to this, in my humble opinion, would have been punitive expeditions against Gauls, Iberians, or Africans that threatened his newest possessions.

[aleksandros]

I'd like to point out that it took Alexander roughly 10 years to go from Granicus to India and back. Dynamic as he was, Alexander had an expiration date. Even if he had lived beyong his early 30s, I think it's safe to say that wounds, hardship, etc. would have limited his travels to the relative vicinity of his existing empire (as in, the Mediterranean and/or Arabia)--something that is validated by the plans he supposedly had outlined.

Personally, I don't see Alexander sending out field marshals to accomplish the feats you listed (northern Europe, farther out in Asia) in his place. The man was an adventurer in every sense of the word, and I don't think it fits his profile to to see others find new lands in his name. The exception to this, in my humble opinion, would have been punitive expeditions against Gauls, Iberians, or Africans that threatened his newest possessions.

expiration date?

Antigonus and Lysimachus died on the battlefield in their early 80s living extreme and violent lives.