What If: Printing in Second Century Rome

I first posted the start of this thread in 2008 and it had some response. It received a “like” yesterday, so I thought I would introduce it again to a new audience. It was inspired by an episode of Carl Sagan’s COSMOS (1980), that alleged that if the intellectual ancient Greed Ionians could spread knowledge they could possibly butterfly away the Dark Ages. My scenario is for Rome.
 
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POD is 121 AD. A fountain is under construction in Rome. A stone carver is doing a plaque. A plumber accidentally spills molten lead on to the carved stone. They lift the hardened lead off the stone and, because it is still hot, drop it face down on to a bed of damp sand.

They lift the lead off the sand and see the legible inscription left by the lead. The carver feels a Gutenberg-like flash of insight and cuts the lead into words and prints images in to the sand. Three senators walk by and see the accidental demonstration and recognize the technique can be used as a tool for communication. They take the pieces of lead to Emperor Hadrian.

Hadrian commissions jewelers to carve letters and words that can be pressed into the wax tablets in use at the time (no paper back then). Texts and messages could be quickly spread without the labor of manual copy. Early day kiosks spread news. School lessons are handed out faster. Libraries spring up.

It would be decades before Rome would feel the instability that followed the death of Marcus Aurelius. In the meantime, literacy could spread. Roman Latin becomes even more widespread and standardized. More literacy means more people available for invention.

I am no expert at Roman history. The challenge is to continue this scenario so Rome becomes too strong to fall, perhaps aided by a cultural/technological exchange with China in a future century. Effectively, China plus Rome equals Renaissance.

This is a very interesting concept. One that I very much like.

I must say that the fact you made it Emperor Hadrian is a good thing. Considering that the Empire was still strong during his time it provides for a nice basis for the continued development of strength.

Another major facet of this is that it becomes slightly easier to standardize training for various facets. Such as the military - you give every squadron a Book of Rules or whatever which can help to make them better trained.

Another facet is that now laws can be published and handed out to everybody in a way that makes it so that everybody knows what is and what is not possible.

Of course, there is the spreading of news and information. And that always helps.

The spreading of information would allow for the existence of magazines about various topics. Think about it, a magazine related to mining, or agriculture. And if a dozen rich and powerful mining experts are a part of the mining magazine then they can exchange ideas in print. Providing for an increased in development.

Books and magazines would convey knowledge, but only with the help of papyrus (from the Nile) or paper (just invented in China and not yet in Rome). After some decades, we can assume books and literature would be spread in Latin and Greek. Wax tablets would have to suffice for news bulletins, since the supply of papyrus would be limited.

In 125 AD OTL, the Pantheon was built of concrete construction. The fired ingredients came from volcanic sources. Unfortunately, in OTL, the technology was not properly recorded and was eventually lost. With education and literature, the technology would be recorded.

I chose the POD point to assure that Marcus Aurelius would be born exactly as in OTL, so Rome would remain stable through 180 AD.

Statistics say that Rome was, at best 30% literate at its height. I want to spread education to double that number by the end of the second century, so essentially twice as many people would be able to innovate and contribute. Hopefully, the instability that followed the death of Marcus Aurelius could be reduced.

Ultimately, I would like to see an expedition from Rome to China in the third century. I would suggest a sea route, around India and southeast Asia. This means a stable Roman base in the Suez or Persian Gulf.

A technological exchange between China and Rome would change the world. The empires would be too far apart to fight. Imagine: Roman printing and concrete for Chinese paper and iron technology. We can not neglect the impact of an exchange of medical and martial art techniques.

I will stop for now and see if anyone else has some suggestions.
 
(no paper back then)...Wax tablets would have to suffice for news bulletins, since the supply of papyrus would be limited.

Fortunately for the Romans papyrus was common, cheap and easy to make, and could be purchased in a variety of quality grades throughout the Empire. It doesn't store well for years with humidity swings but it's a perfectly acceptable substitute. Every decent sized Roman city has libraries and offices full of the stuff.

"Pliny the Elder and Isidore of Seville described six variations of papyrus which were sold in the Roman market of the day. These were graded by quality based on how fine, firm, white, and smooth the writing surface was. Grades ranged from the superfine Augustan, which was produced in sheets of 13 digits (10 inches) wide, to the least expensive and most coarse, measuring six digits (four inches) wide. Materials deemed unusable for writing or less than six digits were considered commercial quality and were pasted edge to edge to be used only for wrapping."

Only the highest grades are probably suitable for printing but with printing the demand for super fine papyrus will jump dramatically, encouraging people to come up with cheaper alternatives or methods of manufacture. Increased papyrus use (and longer texts) will also encourage the development of book-form codices rather than the scrolls preferred in the Roman period as papyrus tends to get brittle when rolled for long periods.
 
I like the idea of this thread although it is misnamed. Instead of 'Education in Second Century Rome' it should be 'Printing is invented in Second Century Rome'. Printing comes first, education follows. I also think the way printing is invented is a bit simplistic. 'Two senators' are likely to view what they've seen as a curiosity, and not much else. Someone like a Greek engineer from Alexandria (or even better, accompanied by a Roman colleague) is IMO more likely to have a 'Gutenberg illumination'. When he gets back to Alex he starts experimenting... So, block printing is rapidly developed. Moveable type by the end of the century? It's good to know from @Escape Zeppelin that good quality papyrus is serviceable for printing.

In view of the fact that Rome OTL had an offiical bulletin board labelled 'Acta Diurna' I can see an official 'newspaper' being developed fairly rapidly, followed at a later date by private efforts, perhaps in provincial cities, first Alexandria, then Carthage, Antioch, Mediolanum [Milan] etc.But I think the great driver for this technology is going to be religion. Groups like the Christian sects, and indeed any religious group that wants to spread their faith widely (rather than keep it esoteric) will seize on printing with both hands to produce and disseminate various scriptures and propaganda. More openly the various philosophical schools will want to print the sayings and writings of their founders. Indeed religions might be the start of proper education. Perhaps the Christians and other groups start what are in effect underground 'schools' to teach their followers and new converts to read the printed scriptures? That's one way that literacy could increase among the common people.
 
I like the idea of this thread although it is misnamed. Instead of 'Education in Second Century Rome' it should be 'Printing is invented in Second Century Rome'. Printing comes first, education follows. I also think the way printing is invented is a bit simplistic.
Thanks for the suggestion. Title changed. Alexandria might be a more reasonable setting, yes. But I wanted to get printing to catch on at Rome's peak so as to avoid the instability in the third and fourth centuries that would lead to its demise.
 
Groups like the Christian sects, and indeed any religious group that wants to spread their faith widely (rather than keep it esoteric) will seize on printing with both hands to produce and disseminate various scriptures and propaganda. More openly the various philosophical schools will want to print the sayings and writings of their founders. Indeed religions might be the start of proper education. Perhaps the Christians and other groups start what are in effect underground 'schools' to teach their followers and new converts to read the printed scriptures? That's one way that literacy could increase among the common people.
The delicate balance here is to advance faith in such a way that it does not threaten the powers-that-be. Printing, education and literacy need to be supported as "good for all."
Library.PNG
 
The delicate balance here is to advance faith in such a way that it does not threaten the powers-that-be. Printing, education and literacy need to be supported as "good for all."
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I agree, and it's a moot point whether adoption by religious groups as I've suggested will increase stability or promote instability. We certainly don't want the state authorities concluding that the new technology is a Bad Thing because it promotes the inflence of subversives (Christians)! I don't think they will, because it will be so useful for the bureaucracy. But how you're going to increase literacy from 30% to say 60% is very difficult without a proper system of education - which the Romans didn't have. If you were a man from a wealthy family you had a Greek pedagogue as a tutor frm whom you'd learn your letters, and the basics of literature, rhetoric, philosophy etc, but for ordinary people there was, basically, zilch. Perhaps many pagan temples start up 'schools' in opposition to the Christians? Who would the patron god/goddess of printing be? Maybe Mercury? Minerva possibly? Hm, hm, have to think about that one.
 
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