Board Thread:Questions and Answers/@comment-140.230.162.61-20141128102358

Once again, I'm going through an AltHist crisis.

I keep alternating between a TL close to the modern era, so it'd be a world not too foreign, and a TL that's very different from our own.

I've decided to finally just do one that's quite different.

For this, I've always wanted to do a Roman timeline, but I've never figured out how to really do that, without copying Superpowers.

So, how could the Roman Empire survive? After Marcus Aurelius, maybe a variation of elective monarchy. But that's pretty much ripping off of SP.

So, I've also thought about Diocletian and Constantine. What I want to know is whether or not some changes with their rule or succession could've resulted in Rome's survival. Or maybe Diocletian goes too far and the citizens of Rome established a new form of Republic? Or maybe I could pull a SP and have Constantine or Diocletian "adopt" and appoint a remarkably gifted successor?

Could Nepos have realistically retaken Italy?

I read that Belisarius was offered the Western crown by the Ostrogoths. Would it be realistic for him to accept, and how would Justinian react?

Also, could some form of paper money have helped the economy? Particularly if it was ornamented with gold and silver?

Also, would it be possible for a remnant of Akexander's empire to survive and firm a Greek Empire?

Could Egypt and Carthage resist Roman expansion into Northern Africa? Particularly if Rome doesn't expand into Greece?

Are there any other factors that could help Roman survival? 