Huh? You mean a 'what if?' novel? Yea, Hannibal's Children. I've been tempted to make a thread on it. Here's why.
It isn't necessarily good writing, and the story progresses too quickly near the end and leaves you feeling empty. However, what the author tries to do is interesting. That is, he tries to make the Roman state the same as it was in 100 BC in reality as it is in the Roman state in his book.
See, Hannibal wins and Romans are forced into exile, the whole city. they march north up to the Danube, establish a kingdom up there, yada yada yada. 100 years later, Oracles and portents signal them to return to their homeland.
There is a huge amount of competition between two groups of Senators, the old Roman senators and the new Senators made up of the local nobility. This is meant to mirror the division of new and old families that occurred at roughly the same time. Marius is an example.
The government is the same, but one thing that has occurred differently is that there is no real strong Greek influence. Therefore, the distinctive Roman virtues are still quite present in the people. This is a contrast with the rest of the world (Ruled primarily by the Carthaginians and the Ptolemies, the Seleucids suffering from the attacks of the Parthians)
Anyhow, he tries to describe the switch over to the Eagles as being the standard for all the Legions as being a result of no more animals being available for the new Legions called up. This also goes to a new design of helmet and sword (Which resemble the gradual transitions that occurred in reality at this time period)
In the story Carthage took Syracuse and Archimedes found shelter in Alexandria, therefore the Museum there has a large Archimedian school, and they develop all sorts of things, like periscopes and under sea boats, which would not come about until much later.
He has a Ptolemaic queen who is quite youthful and beautiful, but whose image upon coins is that of an old hag. I thought this a clever attempt at turning her into CLeopatra (and therefore explaining Cleopatra, that is, she was actually beautiful but her coins were given false images since the people would not be confidant following a young beauty)
Others things like this occur, kind of interesting. Like I said though, the writing is not very good and generally consist of oversimplification of battle and sexually directed speech. Simplistic and not complete enough.
If you want Historical fiction, try 'I Claudius' or 'The Name of the Rose'.
"It's not true. Some have great stories, pretty stories that take place at lakes with boats and friends and noodle salad. Just no one in this car. But, a lot of people, that's their story. Good times, noodle salad. What makes it so hard is not that you had it bad, but that you're that pissed that so many others had it good." Jack Nicholson