This is the worlds first steam turbine:
And it was invented 2000 years ago by Hero of Alexandria, who lived sometime between 10-70 AD.
To his contemporaries, the "Aeopile" (meaning ball of Aeolus) was regarded as a rather interesting toy which used steam to create motion. As interesting as this would have been to watch, it never occurred to anybody just how revolutionary this basic idea was, but what if they did?
Essentially what would have happened if the industrial revolution kicked off in the Roman Empire in the 1st century AD? The Romans would have not only built roads for a start, they'd have built rail-tracks across the Empire, and dug canals to ship coal to factories manned by tens of thousands of slaves which would have mass-produced commodities and industrial goods for trade across and beyond the Empire, improving everyones living standards (except the slaves perhaps) Roman Britain, with it's rich coal resources would have become one of the wealthiest most important parts of the Empire, and it's likely that with improved farming methods due to mass-produced farming tools there would have been a population boom.
This meant that the Roman Empire would expand, absorbing Germany and going into Eastern Europe, going as far as perhaps Poland. It's possible the Romans would have invented gunpowder as the industrial revolution would have spiked interests in the properties of the Earth's resources, and then mass-produced cannons and then hand held guns, and further experimentation in the Earth's properties may have heralded the beginning of science as we know today. This all happening before 1000AD.
The Roman Empire, being thousands of years ahead of anyone else, would not have collapsed during the Migration Era, it would have probably taken in Barbarians from Eastern Europe and used them as labour in their factories, and would have been able to beat the Huns on the battlefield with gunpowder weapons, by sheer force of numbers and a healthy and growing economy.
Politically it's harder to say what would have happened, perhaps as living standards improved in the Roman Empire due to industralisation, and as people became more educated and they demanded a return off the Republic. There is a second Roman Civil War and the Republic is restored. Given the size of the Roman Empire, it's probable that over time the Roman Empire de-centralises and we get a sort of co-federation of Roman States, close together because of historic trade links and sharing the common language of Latin.Christianity may have also come to be the common religion off Roman Europe, and served as a further unifying factor.
It's then probable that one of these Roman States would have discovered America, perhaps after the Vikings (The Norse-kingdoms would have been virtual client states) failed to settle in Newfoundland. The Roman states however would have had the resources and ability to settle and conquer America. Much of the Middle East would remain "Romanised", and when the Arabs converted to Islam they would have worn themselves out fighting against the Sassanid's, posing little threat to the Roman Empire in the East. It's probable that the Roman Empire may have decided to take advantage of the situation and conquer the Sassanids, giving the Roman Empire a direct route into India and then China (trade made easier with railroads stretching from the Indus all the way to Rome). Both the Romans, Chinese and Indians would grow rich trading guns, technology, spices and tea. Islam would remain penned into the Saudi Arabian peninsula, it's doubtful the Romans would have bothered conquering it, as Saudi Arabia has little strategic value. (Unless the Romans later invent the combustion engine, and discover Saudi Arabia's full of oil)
So, by 1000AD, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa are essentially a collection of loosely independent Roman states and republics unified by a common heritage and Christianity, with technology comparable certainly to that of the early 19th century, perhaps even the 21st century today. If what i have described had actually happened, the technology we would have by 2000AD would be beyond our wildest dreams.
And it was invented 2000 years ago by Hero of Alexandria, who lived sometime between 10-70 AD.
To his contemporaries, the "Aeopile" (meaning ball of Aeolus) was regarded as a rather interesting toy which used steam to create motion. As interesting as this would have been to watch, it never occurred to anybody just how revolutionary this basic idea was, but what if they did?
Essentially what would have happened if the industrial revolution kicked off in the Roman Empire in the 1st century AD? The Romans would have not only built roads for a start, they'd have built rail-tracks across the Empire, and dug canals to ship coal to factories manned by tens of thousands of slaves which would have mass-produced commodities and industrial goods for trade across and beyond the Empire, improving everyones living standards (except the slaves perhaps) Roman Britain, with it's rich coal resources would have become one of the wealthiest most important parts of the Empire, and it's likely that with improved farming methods due to mass-produced farming tools there would have been a population boom.
This meant that the Roman Empire would expand, absorbing Germany and going into Eastern Europe, going as far as perhaps Poland. It's possible the Romans would have invented gunpowder as the industrial revolution would have spiked interests in the properties of the Earth's resources, and then mass-produced cannons and then hand held guns, and further experimentation in the Earth's properties may have heralded the beginning of science as we know today. This all happening before 1000AD.
The Roman Empire, being thousands of years ahead of anyone else, would not have collapsed during the Migration Era, it would have probably taken in Barbarians from Eastern Europe and used them as labour in their factories, and would have been able to beat the Huns on the battlefield with gunpowder weapons, by sheer force of numbers and a healthy and growing economy.
Politically it's harder to say what would have happened, perhaps as living standards improved in the Roman Empire due to industralisation, and as people became more educated and they demanded a return off the Republic. There is a second Roman Civil War and the Republic is restored. Given the size of the Roman Empire, it's probable that over time the Roman Empire de-centralises and we get a sort of co-federation of Roman States, close together because of historic trade links and sharing the common language of Latin.Christianity may have also come to be the common religion off Roman Europe, and served as a further unifying factor.
It's then probable that one of these Roman States would have discovered America, perhaps after the Vikings (The Norse-kingdoms would have been virtual client states) failed to settle in Newfoundland. The Roman states however would have had the resources and ability to settle and conquer America. Much of the Middle East would remain "Romanised", and when the Arabs converted to Islam they would have worn themselves out fighting against the Sassanid's, posing little threat to the Roman Empire in the East. It's probable that the Roman Empire may have decided to take advantage of the situation and conquer the Sassanids, giving the Roman Empire a direct route into India and then China (trade made easier with railroads stretching from the Indus all the way to Rome). Both the Romans, Chinese and Indians would grow rich trading guns, technology, spices and tea. Islam would remain penned into the Saudi Arabian peninsula, it's doubtful the Romans would have bothered conquering it, as Saudi Arabia has little strategic value. (Unless the Romans later invent the combustion engine, and discover Saudi Arabia's full of oil)
So, by 1000AD, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa are essentially a collection of loosely independent Roman states and republics unified by a common heritage and Christianity, with technology comparable certainly to that of the early 19th century, perhaps even the 21st century today. If what i have described had actually happened, the technology we would have by 2000AD would be beyond our wildest dreams.
