Heron of Alexandria was a great inventor, working out of Alexandria, Egypt. He created strange yet surprisingly-modern inventions, including automatic doors, the first machine gun (a kind of "gatling ballista"), and was even on the verge of triggering an industrial revolution, having mastered the basic concept of steam power.
But, as we all can surmise, this premature industrial revolution never occurred. For what reason is anybody's guess, but Heron's work was never pursued any further. But what if it happened differently... a lot differently?
Suppose Heron had made the connection that his steam engine could be used to power equipment? After all, it's faster than any water-wheel, and if pursued, could lead to wonders never-before imagined. Heron was able to demonstrate the applications of his steam turbine, and got the backing of some rich estate-owning aristocrats, who even have a political punch as well.
Slowly but surely, people shall realize that one steam turbine could do the work of twenty slaves. Not to mention that the design of the turbine would be refined as time went on, hell it would have even been specialized to fit in various machines. Would slavery be phased-out in the Roman empire?
What would the effects of a classical-age industrial revolution be? The industrial revolution brought on so many things, could these things be transplanted more than one thousand years before they actually happened? Would Rome have fallen to barbarian invaders, or would a bloody civil war destroy it? Would the Roman empire even fall at all?
But, as we all can surmise, this premature industrial revolution never occurred. For what reason is anybody's guess, but Heron's work was never pursued any further. But what if it happened differently... a lot differently?
Suppose Heron had made the connection that his steam engine could be used to power equipment? After all, it's faster than any water-wheel, and if pursued, could lead to wonders never-before imagined. Heron was able to demonstrate the applications of his steam turbine, and got the backing of some rich estate-owning aristocrats, who even have a political punch as well.
Slowly but surely, people shall realize that one steam turbine could do the work of twenty slaves. Not to mention that the design of the turbine would be refined as time went on, hell it would have even been specialized to fit in various machines. Would slavery be phased-out in the Roman empire?
What would the effects of a classical-age industrial revolution be? The industrial revolution brought on so many things, could these things be transplanted more than one thousand years before they actually happened? Would Rome have fallen to barbarian invaders, or would a bloody civil war destroy it? Would the Roman empire even fall at all?