The Industrial Revolution in Ancient Alexandria
What if the Romans had not conquered the eastern Mediterranean, but left the Greeks alone to develop steam engines, astrolabes and all manner of architectural and mechanical novelties, in prominent cities like Alexandria, Syracuse, Athens and Ephesus?
Could the industrial revolution have started as early as 100 AD? The events that happened in England around 1800 and changed the whole world. Could this development have started much earlier?
Greek science probably reached its zenith with Heron of Alexandria (10 BC - 70 AD). He created steam engines, wind-powered organs, mechanical figures for theatres, improved pumping systems and fountains, among other things. During the Roman conquest, the spirit of innovation disappeared. There was something in Roman culture that opposed technological development. Although the Romans appreciated Greek art and architecture, invention and the search for novelty all but disappeared in the centuries that followed.
The reason why the ancient peoples did not achieve industrialism is often explained by the widespread slavery, and the consequent lack of need for machines and automation on the same scale. This is also a gross oversimplification, as slavery was not free, but contributed to a number of costs, not only in terms of purchasing the slaves, but also in terms of food, drink, clothing, shelter, medical care, etc. Therefore, simpler machines and inventions could have reduced costs and simplified life even in ancient times.
The first steam engines in England at the end of the 17th century were used to pump water from underground mines. These were ingenious machines for their time, but still simple devices, not unlike the ancient experimental versions of the Greeks. Then it took another 100-150 years of improvements before steam power was used in factories, to power trains on rails and ships across oceans etc. Industrialism was then already in full swing.