The Rise of the Reman Empire... *and* the Industrial Revolution under Emperor Nero

Shortly afterward, the undisturbed Nero left for Naples to sing in a sold-out concert, where several Alexandrians happened to applaud profusely at his talent, at least they had applauded loudly enough to gather the emperor's notice. Nero was so wholeheartedly gratified by their applause that he arranged to journey to Alexandria, where to his mind, the people seemed to possess truly superior artistic judgment. Alexandria was also, incidentally, the largest Greek-speaking city in the Reman world and second only to Reme in all the Empire.

Shortly afterward Nero arrived in the theatre of Alexandria, just a ways from the Great Library that had once caught on fire a few years back, but which had been saved from destruction by the auspicious mercy of a passing thunderstorm. On his way out of the theatre, Nero came across the inventor scientist Heron sitting idly at a merchant's stall, batting away flies with a papyrus scroll.

And that was when the two of them had met for the first time.

All Alexandria knew that Heron had designed the world's very first steam engine, even if they didn't know what to call his spinning toy. His useless little invention, for such it seemed to them, was a kind of hollow sphere with bent arms, from which boiling water turned into steam, and then the steam emerged with enough force to make the sphere whirl about. Heron had actually set up a table outside the theatre and was taking in contributions from rich patrons when Nero and his praetorian guard came outside. In no time, Nero had spied the marvelous spinning invention with his showman's eye. Nero was unduly delighted with the whirly thing and promptly demanded that Heron bring it to Reme.

Perhaps Heron would never have done anything with his invention, but Nero's magnanimous offer of patronage made it impossible for the impoverished inventor to refuse a visit to Reme.

Within a few weeks time, Heron arrived in Reme on foot, since vehicles were prohibited in Reme in daytime to prevent chariot congestion, and in no time, Heron found lodging in the Greek section of Reme, an old housing section with profuse herb gardens and high-walled buildings constructed on the foundations of the ancient Etruscan city that had predated Reme. After a meal of spiced rosemary lamb acquired in the open air at a vendor's stall and several goblets of sweet red wine, Heron sent a messenger to Nero's Palace to inform the great Emperor that his humble servant, Heron of Alexandria, had arrived.

The next afternoon, Heron was invited to the Palace to display his invention before the prominent thinkers and scientists of Reme, including architects of the newest Reman aqueducts, healers, and engineers. Lucan the poet turned out for the inventor's welcome, as well as several others within Nero's intimate circle.

Even Seneca, the wise old Senator, was intrigued by the spinning invention, but it was Nero who made the ludicrous suggestion that it would be interesting if such a device could somehow be made to propel a chariot on its own, so that a charioteer might not be defeated in the races even if one of his horses should go down.

Seizing upon this idea, perhaps at first to please Nero and later out of genuine interest, several of the engineers promised to examine the invention and to try to recreate it. Nero was immensely pleased that his idea had been of merit to such learned minds and on a whim commissioned a hundred copies of Heron's sphere, as well as a self-propelled chariot based on the invention.

Heron remained in Reme for some time, until one of his Reman contemporaries came up with a sphere that was a significant improvement over his own design. Never one to be outdone, Heron set about using the improved design of his original "steam engine" to create a self-propelled chariot where his contemporaries had unceremoniously failed. In the end, Heron also admitted that a self-propelled chariot was beyond his or anyone's powers to make a reality with the resources at hand, but a self-propelled ship, he realized, was not!