It’s a few months ago I have this thought, but I think it’s still a nice one. I was watching a documentary about ancient Rome, which was very well done. It was amazing to see how such a city as organized.

System of aqueducts led water to the city in a way that outdid its era. It had complex system of public life, areas in the city for specific purposes. It had army (legionnaires) that worked like nothing else in that time.

It had me think: a city in fantasy would need to work just as well if it was to be the sprawling metropolis able to house tens of thousands. Yes, some things can be made easier in fantasy worlds by using magic but unless it is to have magic in everything, ancient Rome is perfect example of how a great civilization could work with little technology in the way we know it today.