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Description

The Greco-Persian Wars strike many today as the moment in which the East and West collided, when civilization and barbarism went to war. In reality, the Persian Empire of the Achaemenids was much more civilized and tolerant than many of the Greek states (especially Sparta) and tended to be less oppressive and brutal than the later Roman Empire. So if Persia had conquered Greece, perhaps it would not have meant the destruction of Western civilization; perhaps it would simply have been a loose subjection to an empire that was more benevolent and peaceful than Rome.

The reality is, Persia had no intention of actually governing Greece, only of vassalizing it. They did just that to Macedonia for a time, and Macedonia herself did that to the Greek city-states during her time as an imperial power. Even the Romans initially attempted to work with the Greek city-states, allying with them against the Macedonians, but eventually they grew tired of endless wars and rebellions and decided to annex them outright. The Persians, no doubt, would have had to deal with much unrest and revolt, but for the most part I suspect tribute would be all they demanded; each Greek city-state would be allowed to govern itself as it pleased. It's possible that (like the Romans in our timeline) they would take more drastic measures later on in the face of continued rebellion, but this may not be necessary. Regardless, Persia's hegemony in the Balkans would be consolidated, the rise of the Macedonian empire and the spread of Hellenic culture would not occur, and Persia, for the time being, would be the undisputed hegemon of the civilized world.

Description

The Greco-Persian Wars strike many today as the moment in which the East and West collided, when civilization and barbarism went to war. In reality, the Persian Empire of the Achaemenids was much more civilized and tolerant than many of the Greek states (especially Sparta) and tended to be less oppressive and brutal than the later Roman Empire. So if Persia had conquered Greece, perhaps it would not have meant the destruction of Western civilization; perhaps it would simply have been a loose subjection to an empire that was more benevolent and peaceful than Rome.

The reality is, Persia had no intention of actually governing Greece, only of vassalizing it. They did just that to Macedonia for a time, and Macedonia herself did that to the Greek city-states during her time as an imperial power. Even the Romans initially attempted to work with the Greek city-states, allying with them against the Macedonians, but eventually they grew tired of endless wars and rebellions and decided to annex them outright. The Persians, no doubt, would have had to deal with much unrest and revolt, but for the most part I suspect tribute would be all they demanded; each Greek city-state would be allowed to govern itself as it pleased. It's possible that (like the Romans in our timeline) they would take more drastic measures later on in the face of continued rebellion, but this may not be necessary. Regardless, Persia's hegemony in the Balkans would be consolidated, the rise of the Macedonian empire and the spread of Hellenic culture would not occur, and Persia, for the time being, would be the undisputed hegemon of the civilized world.