DID YOU KNOW…
The Unbreakable Glass That Allegedly Cost an Inventor His Life
Did you know? In ancient Rome, an inventor reportedly presented Emperor Tiberius with a malleable, unbreakable glass, only to be executed because Tiberius feared it would devalue precious metals and disrupt the economy.
The Roman historian Petronius, in his *Satyricon*, recounts this legend, describing a craftsman who brought a glass vessel to Tiberius. When the vessel was thrown to the ground, it merely dented and could be easily restored. Fearing economic collapse if such a material became widespread, Tiberius allegedly ordered the inventor's death to protect the state's treasury and the value of existing gold and silver. While possibly a cautionary tale rather than a literal event, this legend highlights historical anxieties about disruptive technologies and their potential societal impact.
🔗 History of glass - Roman Empire🔗 The Story of Unbreakable Glass in Ancient Rome - Smithsonian Magazine
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