Re: Classic, Normal, and Vulgar Lingo

On Sat, 22 Jan 2000, Thomas R. Wier wrote:

>Nik Taylor wrote:
>
>> Padraic Brown wrote:
>> > Reminds me of the opening scenes of the "Aquiliad", where the Greek
>> > slave is reading to his young Roman master, while they're travelling
>> > in his fathers steam powered automobile to see a crucifiction.
>>
>> Steam-powered automobile?  Is this some sort of alternate-history where
>> Rome never fell or a humdinger of an anachronism?  :-)
>
>Actually, the Romans did have access to steam-driven engines of
>sorts.  I think it was Hieron of Alexandria (during Hellenistic times)
>that made quite a few devices using steam.  Most of them failed
>industrially because slaves were just too cheap.
True, but unfortunately not too practical: cheap slaves and
insufficient metalurgical techniques. I'm sure a Hieronian steam
engine could handle, perhaps, a ceiling fan system or something
requiring relatively little power. I don't think they could build an
engine to drive an automobile (such as that found in Aquiliad) or a
mill.

Hieron's Ankh-Morporkian counterparts did achieve a steam powered
ship, which I believe eventually blew up.

Padraic.

>
>======================================
>Tom Wier <artabanos@...>
>ICQ#: 4315704   AIM: Deuterotom
>Website: <http://www.angelfire.com/tx/eclectorium/>
>"Cogito ergo sum, sed credo ergo ero."
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