User blog:Stepintime/Forgotten Fridays- 2 Roman Printing

Roman Printing

    So have you reached the end of your work week? Or do you have a long weekend of jobs/school work before you? No matter, take a break and welcome to the second installment of Forgotten Fridays bringing to you the lost and undiscovered worlds of humanity.

Twelve years ago an anonymous user created Roman Printing  and then left for the community to work on.

Here is imagined a Roman World which develops by means of a small entrepreneur the means to stamp individual letters quickly to a large audience. Later stolen by the central government, printing changes the scope of Rome in the context of administration and the spreading of unofficial ideas. Over seven articles long we can imagine how the ancient world changed for both the rulers, and the plebeians. A literary culture, and of fiction comes about over fifteen hundred years early prior to OTL.

 While those in power use the new technology first, eventually religious minorities, tribal foes of Rome and populists use printing to gain an edge over their more established enemies.

Where these changes ultimately lead Rome are unanswered, as time timeline is open for Adoption the final resolution rests in the hands those brave enough to pick up the pin (or type on their keyboards) to push their way through time.

I would like to think, that with printing, the life of a Roman would be more creative, and thought provoking. I don't know is the intellectual growth would be enough to save Rome from its economic and environmental problems. Remember that stagflation, natural climate change, and new Asian diseases would continue to hurt everyone.

What may change as hinted by this T.L is that the breakdown of Rome may occur a little differently, instead than just facing civil war, or tribal invasions the people of Rome might mobilize and seek solutions for their problems with popular revolutions. Maybe instead of central authority collapsing all together to be replaced by a patchwork of Warlords we could see new kinds of governance which still stretch across Europe's landscape.

And if the 'Dark Age' of still arises, the western areas of Rome may have a faster recovery if ideas and art will have a greater audience. Think about how the peasants may think differently if they too could read or make art like those monks in Benedictine monasteries?

Regardless, some of the legionaries, slaves and shop keepers of this life would now have their share of'Bazaar Shlock' to read at night.

What do you think would have happened if Printing arose in the Roman World?

Alternative History Challenge: Write a publication from Atilla the Hun's perspective designed to induce Roman people to see him as their new King, don't just think in terms of fear either, because ideally Atilla did not just come to pillage he was also hoping to become Rome's next emperor as well.

Whoever, writes an entry will get a special award, and standing ovation by Stepintime. Return next week for our third Forgotten Friday!

Thank you users

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