The Battle of Actium – Wasn’t John the Baptist beheaded?

An ancient Memorial Day for Cleopatra and Antony –

Historians talk about how the Battle of Tours kept Islam out of Europe. Charles Martel, Charlemagne’s grandfather, rounded up “unstoppable” Muslims in southern France in October 732. Historians speak of the significance of the Battle of Britain and how English stubbornness and Nazi fatigue prevented Hitler from invaded Britain in 1942. And historians talk about how Robert E. Lee’s series of unfortunate decisions at the Battle of Gettysburg sealed victory for the North in the Civil War.

History is littered with key battle moments that changed or guaranteed historic outcomes –

There are transcendental moments like these that populate the chronicle of history. The Defeat of the Spanish Armada by the smaller and more mobile English Armada and some lucky winds and storms, in 1588, is probably the most marked ending and beginning of empire in all history. For hundreds of years, thinkers and writers have pondered what the world would have been like if the Spanish Armada had landed in England and defeated the young and emerging country. There are some battles that IF THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN THE OTHER SIDE, they would have changed everything. A good example is the departure of the Muslims from Spain in 1492. In that same year Spain began its quest for empire and exploration of the New World. If that hadn’t happened, imagine if all the Spanish-speaking people in the world were Islamic instead of Roman Catholic.

Since this is Memorial Day, the many battles that saved the world from the domination of the Axis Powers during World War II cannot be omitted. The historic battles of D-Day and then the Battle of the Bulge. And, in the Pacific, the Battle of Midway, in which the United States Navy dealt a complete and stunning blow to the Japanese Navy, and then the island-hopping campaigns of Guadalcanal, Tarawa, and others, and the bath of blood on Okinawa, which was an effort to clear land so the bombers could have a place to refuel on their way to Japan. Many have asked –

“What would the world be like now if Germany and Japan had won?”

And you may have never heard of it, but some people have thought about what the world would be like if Antony and Cleopatra had won the Battle of Actium in 31 BC. C., and if John the Baptist had been beheaded, if Jesus had been crucified — if the Temple would have been destroyed and Jerusalem completely destroyed — and how that would have affected the world.

The Battle of Actium

The Battle of Actium was fought by Cleopatra and Mark Antony and their Roman and Egyptian armies against the Roman armies of Octavian, who would become Emperor Augustus. Yes, everyone remembers Elizabeth Taylor playing Cleopatra and Richard Burton as Mark Antony. They were head over heels in love as the story goes, but they had real plans. This battle was barely covered in the film, and is now written off as the one where the two lovers LOST to Roman superiors. But remember that these were Romans against Romans and the forces were relatively even. It was not a sure outcome for Octavian.

Naval Battle of Actium (31 BC) – The decisive battle in the last of the civil wars of the Roman Republic. Octavian defeated Marc Antony and founded the monarchy.

After the violent death of Julius Caesar in 44 a. C., the civil war broke out between, on the one hand, the assassins, republicans like Brutus and Casio, and, on the other hand, the Caesareans, headed by Marco Antonio and Octavio. Mark Antony, one of the greatest generals of his day and loved like a god by his men, defeated the last republicans in 42 AD at Philippi and began to reorganize the eastern half of the Roman empire. Meanwhile, Octavian accepted the west. Without going into the details of the relationship leading up to the time of the battle, Antony’s plan was to rule the East. Cleopatra, as a member of the Ptolemaic royalty, (Ptolemy was the Alexandrian general who established Hellenic control of Egypt. The Seleucids and the Ptolemies (both Greek rulers) fought each other over the Holy Land area.)

The Romans had moved into the Holy Land in 64 BC. C., so the Battle of Actium was going to decide some issues. It was the idea of ​​Antony and Cleopatra that the “Eastern Roman Empire” would be heavily influenced by Ptolemaic (Greek) and Egyptian culture and philosophy. They wanted to create a new and different Eastern Roman Empire, co-ruled by Cleopatra.

Two liberal cultures in contrast to the Romans –

The Egyptians were famous for thousands of years for allowing a large attitude to their slaves (subordinate populations) and foreign tribes. The Greeks who “shared culture” were also like that. Since ancient times they absorbed Eastern and Western ideas while meeting in their rocky world at the Gate of Europe and Asia. When Alexander died, his four generals divided the kingdoms and ruled them and Hellenized their worlds. Now none of these kingdoms were benign, but none were like the ruthless and ruthless Romans. Antony and Cleopatra’s plans would have been to be a DELIBERATE CONTRAST to the Romans in the West. IF THEY HAD WON, it was their plan to allow local economies free rein, leave local religions alone, unless they caused real trouble. When you think of Moses and Pharaoh, realize that the Children of Israel were in Egypt for 400 years. That is quite a long time to live in peace in a foreign country.

Imagine Antony and Cleopatra WIN the Battle of Actium instead of LOSING it. This “eastern plan” would have been reinforced by Cleopatra’s love/marriage and alliance with Antony. Instead of Cleopatra and Antony dying from an asp bite and getting angry, as they actually did, they would have ruled in splendid glory, imagining a great new set of economies (at that time Egypt was the breadbasket of the Roman Empire and would be han had great economic leverage). They envisioned a world ruled from Alexandria: the entire Eastern Roman world would be very different from ancient Western Rome.

A BIG WHAT IF –

This idea has been written about and contemplated by others, and is worth considering. If this Eastern Empire had been established by Antony and Cleopatra in 42 B.C. C., there would have been an immediate relaxation of the iron Roman control over the Holy Land. The Romans had only been in that area for twenty years. With the departure of those “western” Roman troops from the region, greater freedom and autonomy would have been granted to Judea. If the Jews were granted more freedom and control, talk of a Messiah and inevitable revolt might have been reduced to more theoretical theological models. Yes, they would be devout and committed to their doctrines, but they may not have been as virulently angry with their rulers. The tough government creates a tough revolutionary opposition. The merciful rule has a softening effect.

Without a constant battle with harsh Roman rulers, the “need” for a Messiah might have come down to a religious concept rather than a true revolutionary Jewish Holy Man throwing off foreign rule. It was the fear of this and the anticipation of this that created the potential for conflict in the Holy Land at that time. Without this dynamic, Jesus could have been a prophet or a teacher, but he probably would not have been crucified. He probably would have been allowed to preach his thoughts and talk about the “Kingdom of Heaven”. He could have fought with the Jewish establishment, but the political dynamic of an emerging rebel would not have been there, and Jesus and John the Baptist could have been preachers who would not have been assassinated.

The need for a corrupt Herodian (Edomite) government might not have been that great, and if they were in power, they would not have been able to “triangulate” with the ruthless Roman government and Jewish priests. Therefore, John the Baptist, who probably would still have been loud and “in your face” telling people in power to repent, probably would not have had his head cut off by the Herodian family. He would have been too “exaggerated” politically.

If there were no John the Baptist dead, no Jesus crucified, no Jerusalem destroyed. (the loot from the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem was used to finance the Colosseum), the Eastern Roman rulers in Alexandria would not have seen any reason to destroy this ancient and beautiful city, because the Jews would not have revolted.

Did they not behead John the Baptist? No Crucified Christ? No temple destroyed? No desolate Jerusalem? –

If the Battle of Actium had been won by Antony and Cleopatra, there probably would not have been a Christianity, or if there was, it would not be based on a dead crucified and risen prophet. Without Christianity, the entire world would have developed and evolved religions that could be very different. Western Rome could have fallen much earlier, and a whole syncretistic, liberal, oriental philosophy could have developed in the eastern Mediterranean, based on Greek, Egyptian, Persian, and Asian ideas.

One can go crazy imagining possible imaginative scenarios, but it cannot be said that the world would have evolved in the same way. This theory may be annoying to some, but it’s intriguing to think about as we look down the road to what our current world will become. This Memorial Day, it might be helpful to realize that the killing and dying of soldiers not only guaranteed America’s liberties, but that those efforts literally have an ongoing impact on the world and world history. When we say “thank you for your service,” we can begin to feel and know the deeper effects of that service.