It contained 18,000 vacuum tubes, and occupied the space of a large garage. In 170 BC the world's first paved streets were built in Rome . They had the advantage of being passable in all weather, but the disadvantage of increasing traffic noise. During the centuries that followed, roads of stone would link together much of the Roman Empire. The Greek mathematician Euclid published Elements Around 300 BC , which set forth the principles of Euclidean geometry .
Elements is said to be one of the most frequently translated and studied books in the world.
Euclid's geometry includes postulates subsequently learned by students for more than 2,000 years. The oldest surviving printed book in the world is the Diamond Sutra , a book made in China in 868 . It contains a collection of Buddhist prayers and is richly illustrated. The ancient Greek language , which was the source of many English words, was in existence by 1000 BC . Ice cream was invented in China about 2000 BC .