Everything happens for a reason?

[luc]

Alexander was amazing, we all know that. But maybe him dying at that age was the best thing that could happen, not only for himself but for history in general. For example, rumor has it that he was planning on conquering the west. Though he is my favorite person in history, I can't help but imagine him taking over the newly found and growing Rome. And Rome, I think gave more to the world overtime than Alexander ever could in his one life time. It's one thing to have Alexander rule the world, but what of his sons and heirs? would they be as great? And I rather like him dying from a sickness than defeated anyway. So what do you guys think? for the better or for the worst?

[beausefaless]

I disagree, Rome embraced Greek culture they even had a Greek king in the early days they were being sacked by the Gals and Celts around 390 BC then they got smart, around 380 they would make a yearly payment to the same people to buy them time to slowly build their army. When Alexander was in Babylon before his death all the different peoples from the continent of Italy came to pay homage to Alexander. Rome wasn't worried about Alexander and Alexander wasn't worried about Rome. After Alexander was finished exploring Arabia he was going to establish a trade rout from Macedonia to carthage there was lots of silver mines in Spain that Carthaginians controlled. Who's to say what would have happened to Alexander's world no matter how long he lived, when he died he left his world to the strongest.
If Alexander went against any army that Rome had in their history especially in his time Rome would have lost !

[jan]

I just read that Achilles had been forewarned that when Patroclus went, so would he. Perhaps Alexander had believed that to be the case with Hephaestion as well. He seems to pattern everything after Achilles. Having already lost Bucephalus, Peritas, and Hephaestion, having sustained a severe wound in the pulmonary lungs, and having bad omens precede him before entering Babylon, I suspect that he was prepared for change in his life. For that reason alone, I suspect that it was all for the best...to rise again in some other day, in some other time.