Roman Wank: Technological and Institutional Developments?

Still (always) playing around with this idea in my head. I have a rough idea that combines a few different threads I’ve started here. And it does sorta mesh well, so thats a bonus.

Basic idea: Carthage accepts the terms offered by Regulus to end First Punic War, Carthage becomes effective client state of Rome. Second and Third Punic wars averted, along with the chaos with them.

Without the disruption of a major life-or-death war on demographics, property, and depletion of leadership, the Roman political system is able to evolve more gradually. When alt-Gracchian reforms are proposed, they’re combined with Italian citizenship and are more gradual. Legion-eligible citizens are thus a far greater proportion of population for longer, allowing the property qualifications to be lowered more gradually. This also allows modest reform of the Centuriate Assembly - even just randomizing voting order like in the Tribal Assembly would give lower classes more say.

Carthaginian mercantile system remains intact. This includes atlantic expeditions. Enterprising Carthaginians trading with Canary Islanders import tagasaste shrubs, which prove good fodder for livestock, especially in arid to semi arid conditions (nitrogen fixing, as well). Carthaginians were pretty focused on improving yields in N. Africa after first Punic War historically, this plays into that.

With increased herd sizes, more wool is on the market. This puts pressures on textile sector, spinning wheel is invented. As the spinning wheel proliferates, cost of texiles drop accordingly, and their number and use increases accordingly. That results in more scrap cloth, which could stimulate the invention of paper.

By the time the Romans are in charge of the whole Mediterranean (which I will assume occurs more or less on schedule), they have a much healthier economy and political system, and a few key advances in technology, and are probably on the cusp of inventing the printing press (rather, some Greeks under Roman rule are).

That is a pretty solid Roman-wank right there, if you ask me.
 
Still (always) playing around with this idea in my head. I have a rough idea that combines a few different threads I’ve started here. And it does sorta mesh well, so thats a bonus.

Basic idea: Carthage accepts the terms offered by Regulus to end First Punic War, Carthage becomes effective client state of Rome. Second and Third Punic wars averted, along with the chaos with them.

Without the disruption of a major life-or-death war on demographics, property, and depletion of leadership, the Roman political system is able to evolve more gradually. When alt-Gracchian reforms are proposed, they’re combined with Italian citizenship and are more gradual. Legion-eligible citizens are thus a far greater proportion of population for longer, allowing the property qualifications to be lowered more gradually. This also allows modest reform of the Centuriate Assembly - even just randomizing voting order like in the Tribal Assembly would give lower classes more say.

Carthaginian mercantile system remains intact. This includes atlantic expeditions. Enterprising Carthaginians trading with Canary Islanders import tagasaste shrubs, which prove good fodder for livestock, especially in arid to semi arid conditions (nitrogen fixing, as well). Carthaginians were pretty focused on improving yields in N. Africa after first Punic War historically, this plays into that.

With increased herd sizes, more wool is on the market. This puts pressures on textile sector, spinning wheel is invented. As the spinning wheel proliferates, cost of texiles drop accordingly, and their number and use increases accordingly. That results in more scrap cloth, which could stimulate the invention of paper.

By the time the Romans are in charge of the whole Mediterranean (which I will assume occurs more or less on schedule), they have a much healthier economy and political system, and a few key advances in technology, and are probably on the cusp of inventing the printing press (rather, some Greeks under Roman rule are).

That is a pretty solid Roman-wank right there, if you ask me.
this would evoeld into a much better ships and shipbuidling world because the alantix is extremely rough
 
this would evoeld into a much better ships and shipbuidling world because the alantix is extremely rough

I’m not suggesting trans-atlantic travel, just a continuation of the existing Carthaginian trade. Hell, not even that. Just the importation of a shrub from the Canaries.

That said, I’d give the Carthaginians - even as a client state - better odds on advancing ship building than the Romans.
 
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