Was the steam engine really known in ancient Egypt?

Question

Some sources on the Internet state that the steam engine was known in ancient Egypt, although it wasn't used very widely.

Is it true?

If the answer is yes, it was known, or at least suspected, why wasn't it used more widely? For example, it could have helped to build more and bigger pyramids.

I suspect you are alluding to the Aeolipile described by Hero of Alexandria : "a Greek mathematician and engineer who was active in his native city of Alexandria, Roman Egypt" ca.10 – ca.70 AD, not exactly "ancient Egypt". See also History of the steam engine. — Mauro ALLEGRANZA, Feb 19 '15 at 15:51
@MauroALLEGRANZA Actually, some of my sources say some temple door was opened/closed by the ancient Egyptians by a steam machine, and it was partially a liturgical thing, but it is highly unclear (some historical books don't mention any similar). — peterh, Feb 19 '15 at 16:08
Hero, the scientist, almost made it. He had all the nescessary parts but never seemed to figure out how — Anthony Pham, Feb 19 '15 at 23:43
The place where Hero worked is usually not called "Ancient Egypt". It is called "Ptolemaic Alexandria". At the time of Hero, Ancient Egypt was already very ancient:-) — Alexandre Eremenko, Feb 20 '15 at 02:55

Conifold · Accepted Answer · 2015-02-19T22:48:20.223

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Like Mauro I suspect that your sources make a conflation. The earliest surviving description of a steam engine is in Pneumatica by Heron (or Hero) of Alexandria, who calls it aeolipile after the Greek god of air. One of the described applications is to automated opening of temple doors by lighting a fire on the altar. Alexandria is in Egypt, which is famous for its priests, so with some creativity we get an ancient Egyptian wonder.

Russo makes a case in Forgotten Revolution based on analysis of Heron's text and other sources that the invention actually goes back to Ctesibius of Alexandria (3rd century BC), some other devices described by Heron are known to be his. But that is still Hellenistic Egypt, not ancient. The only earlier mention of a steam powered device that I know of is a flying pigeon of Archytas of Tarentum (4th century BC), but its credibility is low since it is only mentioned in a collection of science related folk tales by Aulus Gellius, who lived over five centuries after Archytas. Still, Archytas is known as a brilliant mechanic from other sources, so it's possible.

As to why steam engines weren't used more widely in antiquity the reason is that they were too weak. Toys and contraptions described by Heron are just about all they could power. Only in 1663 John Somerset invented upgrades (based on condensing steam) that allow for "industrial grade" engines. Why wasn't it done in antiquity? One reason is that Hellenistic science had a very narrow window to develop, about two centuries between Alexandrian and Roman conquests. Around 150 BC scientists were chased away from Alexandria, and when better times returned much of the tradition was lost. On top of that during the Imperial period that followed the culture appreciated "wonders" rather than the science that produced them, and toys and contraptions were just right for that. Again, Forgotten Revolution is a good reference for this period.

edited Feb 19 '15 at 22:48

answered Feb 19 '15 at 19:01

Conifold

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I am not a native English speaker, so please explain me: is steam turbine is a special kind of "steam engine"? Hero has a description of a toy steam turbine. The Brits in 18 century invented a completely different steam engine. The turbine was invented again in the end of 19 cenruty. – Alexandre Eremenko Feb 19 '15 at 21:52
What is the source of the statement that "scientists were chased away in 150 BC"? I know they were chased away in 370 AD. (And in the 200+ AD there were still some outstanding scientists in Alexandria). – Alexandre Eremenko Feb 19 '15 at 21:57
@Alexandre Eremenko Yes, in loose usage adopted by Wikipedia steam engine is anything that "performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid". In 145 BC Euergetes II "expelled all intellectuals: philologists, philosophers, professors of geometry, musicians, painters, schoolteachers, physicians and others" from Alexandria. Russo discusses it in detail, Wikipedia has a blurb http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ptolemy_VIII_Physcon#Revenge_and_intrigues – Conifold Feb 19 '15 at 22:29
Apparently they later came back. Some of the most important developments in mathematics and astronomy happened in Alexandria in 2-3 centuries AD. – Alexandre Eremenko Feb 20 '15 at 02:51
"On top of that during the Imperial period that followed the culture appreciated "wonders" rather than the science that produced them, and toys and contraptions were just right for that." Oddly familiar... – hjhjhj57 Feb 20 '15 at 05:50
@Alexandre Eremenko The revival began around 50 AD when Romans were mostly done with conquests and civil wars. Fortunately, Euergetes didn't touch the library itself, but word of mouth tradition was interrupted for two centuries, as well as Alexandria's function as a hub of scientific correspondence. With only books to go on most Alexandrians turned from original research to compilation and commentary, even Heron, Menelaus and Ptolemy weren't Archimedes, Apollonius and Hipparchus. Diophantus and Pappus mark the end of research even before sacking of the library ended that "silver age". – Conifold Feb 20 '15 at 19:34
@Conifold: Thanks for your explanation. I disagree with your evaluation of Ptolemy. Diophantus and Ptolemy are certainly among the greatest scientists of antiquity, in the same league as the 2 BC people you listed. – Alexandre Eremenko Feb 20 '15 at 23:09
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@Conifold: "the rumors about expulsion of all intellectuals in 145" are probably exaggerated. According to Ptolemy, Hipparchus and others made observations in Alexandria in 146, 135 and 128 BC. So probably expulsion was incomplete and/or not permanent. – Alexandre Eremenko Feb 21 '15 at 05:37

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Mar 01 '15 at 15:23

To answer the "why" part of your question: In Greek and Roman antiquity there was no economic incentive to produce labour-saving devices due to the ready availability of slave labour. The technological advances were mainly in the field of military technology (think of Archimedes and his burning mirrors).

Was the steam engine really known in ancient Egypt?

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