Check these answers from /u/LuxArdens and /u/Iphikrates
https://old.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/gikcoj/the_roman_empire_was_closer_to_an_industrial/
https://old.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/p1oj44/someone_on_an_ask_reddit_thread_claimed_research/