u/ImportantCat1772

So the question is about how is it that although civilization started in West Asia, tribal culture and societies were never even close to being fully settled there - and also in India which has extremly fertile lands, tribal societies still exist to this day.

So what was unique about Europe that allowed all of it to transition to settled societies, even the ones on very marginal lands in some parts of Germany and Scandinavia? Im thinking specifically about how the Germanic people were tribals but picked up settled customs and all their kingdoms switched to being settled societies, and also the Slavs

Would there be any clear advantages that an army from late antiquity would have over Alexander's phalanxes and sarissa? Lets say if he fought the Sassanids, Arabs, or Romans.. what would happen?