Thanks to a random burp in the spacetime continuum, a 1910's era dreadnought type ship... hell, let's make it a clone of Dreadnought herself, is deposited just a mile offshore the port of Ostia, at anchor. She is in full as-new working order, but is completely devoid of any human presence on board. She is in fully "batteries included" condition, with her coal bunkers full and her magazines at capacity, and the same in regards to every other kind of expendable. In a large neat pile on the foredeck, are explicitly detailed technical manuals and specification lists (in perfect Latin) covering every aspect of her design and operation. This literature is highly exhaustive, and covers not only the ship and her operation, but also a bunch of ancillary areas, with details of how the ship was constructed, the physical principles which make it work, plus other helpful information such as details on how to produce high explosive, how to produce propellant, how to cast iron and steel, the best places in the Italian peninsula and its close environs to find certain resources etc. Dreadnought was all turbine driven but for good measure there is also extremely detailed and graphically illustrated technical information on easier-to-build reciprocating steam plants (simple, double and triple expansion, recondensing etc). A few other possibly useful volumes are also on board, detailing things such as the layout of the solar system and universe as it was known in 1906 (year of Dreadnought's commissioning), the laws of thermodynamics, motion, gravity, electromagnetism, energy etc, all expounded upon in detail. There are also extensive glossaries of technical terms and concepts such as may be referenced in the other documentation. It's about 170 AD. How do you think this would affect the empire and the course of history in general?
Firstly, the Romans are going to need some sources of coal to run her. And they're going to need them all around the Med to keep her running. And they better hope nothing breaks---on a ship? Naaaaaaah---because they're going to be unable to repair her. By 170AD, the Roman Empire pretty much controlled all of the Mediterranean basin, so I actually don't think it would change much.
I'd wager to say the world would be a better place today. The collapse of Rome was the single most tragic event in Western history. Not that this gift from the future would guarantee a difference.
It'd be a hoot watching the bridge crew try and read the manuals while the ship gets thrown all over the place in a hurricane or something. Experienced sailors or no, they would have no clue about storm sailing with powered engines.
It would be far better to adjust the scenario where the Romans capture at least some of the crew alive (like in "the Axis of Time").
I think the technological leap is too great for the Romans to do anything right away. Remember, the ship's systems operate on physical principles not 'described' mathematically until Newton's time. Throw in a copy of the Principia in perfect Latin, and they would have a place to start comprehending what they had. If the Romans found it in AD 170, by AD 300 they might be a force to be reckoned with.
Nevertheless, my point was that when Rome went, "it was all downhill from there." Yes, they were responsible a great deal by not understanding economics and the concept of imperial overstretch, but the consequences of their demise continue to plague the Western world to this day. But, you're correct. USA is going to come crashing down too. Only unlike Rome which took hundreds of years to crumble, America will go out like a thief in the night. **my prediction extraordinaire**
If Rome had not fallen, it's very likely that Islam would never have come into existence. But that's a discussion for another thread.
