An earlier development of Optics

The ancients were aware of the magnify property of crystal and did some research on it. Now let us say that some ancient genius had worked out how to develop decent lens. There would be a big market in reading glasses which could push startups in this industry.

In the space of about 400 years afterwards, telescopes were invented which was widely used by the military and the navy. The microscope was developed soon after that. Then soon the semaphore line was established which allowed messages to be sent in hours which used to take despatch riders on horseback days to get there.

Now, what if such technology had been available to the ancient Romans 2000 years ago. Having glasses would greatly increase their economic productivity. It would give them a substantial military advantage over their barbarian enemies on the field. It would be beneficial for their ships. It would probably provide them with a germ theory which might have a significant effect on their sanitation. It would revolutionise their knowledge of the heavens which would have a considerable impact on religion. It would also give them much faster communications in their empire.
 
Hindsight is 20/20. IOTL optics were invented in the Islamic world. But how exactly? What happened then? And why couldn't it have happened elsewhere?
 

Kaze

Banned
Archimedes wrote some books on Optics which were used and improved by the Muslims much later. The problem with Archimedes is that he was slain by a Roman soldier, so development was stopped at his end.
 
Archimedes wrote some books on Optics which were used and improved by the Muslims much later. The problem with Archimedes is that he was slain by a Roman soldier, so development was stopped at his end.

The story that he managed to burn enemy ships by using a yuuuge lens is just a legend, though.
 
An optical telegraph would be the most useful for the Romans. Rome would be able to keep a much tighter control on their generals and more directly administer provinces for a start.
 
An optical telegraph would be the most useful for the Romans. Rome would be able to keep a much tighter control on their generals and more directly administer provinces for a start.
In addition, the creation of telescopes, glasses and various other lens-based devices would require fine metalworking to go alongside them (you can't crudely melt a steel beam into a perfect frame for spectacles). a good incentive to improve fine metallurgy in Europe and northern africa will speed up their development quite nicely - and would provide huge dividends if gunpowder is also invented earlier.
 
An optical telegraph would be the most useful for the Romans. Rome would be able to keep a much tighter control on their generals and more directly administer provinces for a start.

Much of the problem the empire had was slow communication.

When a barbarian army moves, it would allow Roman troops to be sent faster to where they are required and it would also help in the commercial distribution of goods throughout the empire.

In addition, the creation of telescopes, glasses and various other lens-based devices would require fine metalworking to go alongside them (you can't crudely melt a steel beam into a perfect frame for spectacles). a good incentive to improve fine metallurgy in Europe and northern africa will speed up their development quite nicely .

It helps fine metalwork but it is not required as the first telescope did not have tubes.
 
The story that he managed to burn enemy ships by using a yuuuge lens is just a legend, though.

Mythbusters have done this a few times, if you are interested I recommend seeing these episodes.

https://mythresults.com/episode46
https://mythresults.com/presidents-challenge

The problem is that it turns out these ships are very hard to burn. I am sure too if anything started to happen the ship would be the hands of an experienced captain and crew immediate take action to stop the fire.
 
Mythbusters have done this a few times, if you are interested I recommend seeing these episodes.

https://mythresults.com/episode46
https://mythresults.com/presidents-challenge

The problem is that it turns out these ships are very hard to burn. I am sure too if anything started to happen the ship would be the hands of an experienced captain and crew immediate take action to stop the fire.

He was meant to have used polished metal mirrors, a more likely explain is that the ships attacked with the sun behind them so the defenders would be at a disadvantage, however the "mirrors" reflected and focused the light back at them blinding the oarsmen and tiller causing them to crash into each other.
 
He was meant to have used polished metal mirrors, a more likely explain is that the ships attacked with the sun behind them so the defenders would be at a disadvantage, however the "mirrors" reflected and focused the light back at them blinding the oarsmen and tiller causing them to crash into each other.


Well here is the quote that people refer too seems clear to me that its burning mirrors.

When Marcellus [The Roman General] had placed the ships a bow shot off, the old man [Archimedes] constructed a sort of hexagonal mirror. He placed at proper distances from the mirror other smaller mirrors of the same kind, which were moved by means of their hinges and certain plates of metal. He placed it amid the rays of the sun at noon, both in summer and winter. The rays being reflected by this, a frightful fiery kindling was excited on the ships, and it reduced them to ashes, from the distance of a bow shot. Thus the old man baffled Marcellus, by means of his inventions.


I found this article here that I think is good on this subject
https://www.math.nyu.edu/~crorres/Archimedes/Mirrors/legend/legend.html
 
An optical telegraph would be the most useful for the Romans. Rome would be able to keep a much tighter control on their generals and more directly administer provinces for a start.

Doesn't have to be a good thing. Nero and Didius Julianus were bad emperors, and the legions rebelled against them. What if these emperors had had better control?
 
Doesn't have to be a good thing. Nero and Didius Julianus were bad emperors, and the legions rebelled against them. What if these emperors had had better control?

These Emperors did not conduct day to day operations, faster communication would mean that the local military leadership can react to barbarian incursions faster.

I can also be a big plus in the economy if I am a grain merchant and I know city_A has grain prices at $X and city_B price is now much less then $X, I would try to delivery my grain to city_A
 
I like to research Optics right after Machinery. That way, you can build caravels and discover the New World before anybody else does.
Oh wait, this isn't a Civ4 discussion?
 
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