Roman Aqueducts

Even thought the pipes of the city were only accessible to the people of power. The invention of the aqueducts helped Rome have better access to more clean water in their city. Thus making the romans expand on their technologies regarding water. It came to a point where the water from the Tibet River didn’t sustain the increasing population of Ancient Rome and became polluted. The Romans took the aqueducts system to a new level, using advanced technologies at the time; the aqueducts worked by gravity and carried water from different springs they would find in a hill or mountain. Then the water was distributed into tubes into the city, either be to fountains, public bathrooms, or to the people of high status.
The first Roman aqueduct was the Aqua Appia, constructed in 312 BC by Appius Clauidus Caecus. “The head source of Aqua Appia is on the estate of Lucullus, on Via Praenestina between the seventh and eight milestones, 780 paces to the left along by-road.” (Thomas, 49) Compared to the later designs the design of Aqua Appia was very simple. Next they made the Anio Vetus, which “was approximately four times the length of the Appia” (Aicher) and it offered much more than the Appia by default. The source was the river Anio, the technologies in these times wasn’t as advanced, thus most of the structure of this aqueduct was underground. These two aqueducts satisfied the needs of ancient Rome for a long time, “expenses of the second Punic war caused an understandable hiatus in building projects in Rome.” (Scharam) making some of the water leading to public fountains be cut and also private users to have their pipes cut. Thus the Aqua Marcia was created. The quantity of the water that Aqua Marcia offered was bigger than its previous aqueduct. The Aqua Tepula was an aqueduct that brought in tapid water which was used mainly for industries, and drinking purposes. The Aqua Julia was built by Agrippa “who had a crucial job in the maintenance” (Aicher) of the other aqueducts which were in bad state. Next the Aqua Virgo was created and is one of the most important aqueducts since it is still fictional in modern Rome. Also created by Agrippa, which was named after the water goddess. Showing how important water was for Ancient Rome. Aqua Alsietina was created by Augustus, and served as irrigation. Either to gardens, villas that were close to the curse. When both Marcia and Virgo were closed for maintenance this water was used to drink. Aqua Claudia was finished in around 14 years. This aqueduct was to be constructed because of the high demand in water, mainly from the baths. This aqueduct “is one of Rome’s most visually impressive aqueducts.”(Scharam) This aqueduct suffered of fire and many repairs. Aqua Anio Novus was one of the most ambitious build aqueducts, the demand of water in Ancient Rome increased. Not only for washing and drinking proposers but also for luxuries and decorative purposes (gardens with water its biggest decoration). The Aqua Traiana was a high quality source of water for the city. Aqua Alexandrina was “built after Frontinus, so there is little but the material remains as evidence.” By this time this aqueduct, helped sustain about 1300 public fountains, and about 1000 public baths. In total Rome had eleven aqueducts all-varying in sizes and technologies. These technologies included creating these aqueducts so they ran only by gravity, the Romans calculated very closely how the declines of the tubes would be positioned in. The arcs don’t cover most of the route of the aqueduct; but they are the most obvious remains, the stone piers rest on subterranean foundations of concrete. The four styles of arcs are high pillars, or double arcs, made of bricks.