Uploaded February 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

---

This is the first part of a two-video series exploring why an industrial revolution never took place in the Roman Empire.
Get Surfshark VPN at https://Surfshark.deals/TOLDINSTONE and enter promo code TOLDINSTONE for 83% off and 3 extra months for FREE!

Please consider supporting toldinstone on Patreon:
patreon.com/toldinstone

If you liked this video, you might also enjoy my book “Naked Statues, Fat Gladiators, and War Elephants: Frequently Asked Questions about the Ancient Greeks and Romans.”

amazon.com/Naked-Statues-Fat-Gladiators-Elephants/dp/1633887022

If you're so inclined, you can follow me elsewhere on the web:
reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/profiles/toldinstone
instagram.com/toldinstone
goodreads.com/author/show/20993845.Garrett_Ryan

Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
2:29 Three Fables about the Roman economy
4:27 Surfshark
5:43 Mass production
7:37 Mining
8:30 Water power
9:06 Steam power

Thanks for watching!