Roman Aqueducts Research Paper

The word “aqueduct” is Latin and comes from “aqua” and “ducere” meaning “to lead water”. The Roman aqueducts were a network of channels and pipes built above and below ground with a purpose to carry water across expanses of land. The concept of the Roman aqueducts is simple

The Roman Empire had various technological innovations such as aqueducts. The Romans were the first to build aqueducts. The system was much like a bridge built on arches, aqueducts were genius because of the mountainous terrain of Rome which made supplying water difficult. Aqueducts were built to supply towns with water from lakes, springs, or rivers. They sloped downhill towards town using gravity in

The aqueducts were very important to the ancient Romans and heavily impact their daily living. Ancient Roman aqueducts were constructed to carry water from far away springs and mountains into the cities. From 311 B.C. to 226 A.D., the Romans had built eleven major aqueducts around Roman Empire. Started around the time of Circus Maximus in the sixth century A.D., soon after the construction of the Baths of Caracalla. The water would supply the city’s fountains, gardens, public baths, bathroom, and house of wealthy Roman. The water from the aqueducts also would used to irrigate lands, to power mills and other machined used in mining. ect.

Roman aqueducts were very important to the ancient Romans and heavily influenced their daily life. The aqueducts brought wealth, power, and luxury to the people of Rome in more ways than imaginable and more than just for the obvious purpose of delivering water. When the wells and rainwater were no longer sufficient for the population of Rome, they had to develop a new method of bringing water into the city. Thus creating the invention of aqueducts.

While the builders wanted to make sure that certain stretches of the Roman aqueducts in Rome were above ground to display their innovative and inspiring designs, building aqueducts underground also had its practical advantages, not the least of which was keeping the water clean and free from disease and bacteria. The history of Roman aqueducts is important to understand in order to truly grasp the way in which Rome was organized. Citizenship in the Roman Empire meant the advantages of advantages such as ready access to potable drinking water, certainly not something that could be said for many other, if any, places in the world at this point in history. There were eleven major ancient Roman aqueducts that were constructed over the course of 500

During the second century C.E., Gracchus’ construction projects focused on the aesthetic use of technology.(Doc6) Plutarch, as a official from upper-class, put emphasize on the beauty more than the utility, and consequently, less commoners could enjoy the benefits from the technology. Frontinus had confident with the aqueducts he constructed in the city of Rome, because he believed that they provided sufficient water for both public and private uses and also were more artistic in its structure than other civilizations’ work. (Doc8) He thought that the technology is well-developed to afford the Roman society. However, this could be wrong, because his work also reveals that the Roman governors concerned a lot about the structure and the technology was limited to the public buildings or imperial constructions

They created an innovation that helped the empire get fresh water from clean springs to the city called the aqueducts. They are massive structures that transported the fresh water while keeping it pollution free to minimize disease spread through contaminated water. They also created underground sewage systems, fountains, and public baths for the people of the empire. The people of Rome used concrete to build government buildings, and religious places of worship that had never been built like that before. The Romans were responsible for making roads and highways that helped transport good for trade, which improved their economy.

The expanse of Rome required a vast network of roads to connect the empire to aid with speedy communications and troop movements. The combination of concrete in addition to the use of arches allowed the romans to build the bridges necessary to keep those roads connected. As its cities grew, so did the need for water for its residents and again the Romans turned to the combination of concrete and arches to build great aqueducts. (Kamm,

N. p., 2018. Web. 14 Feb. 2018. "Aqueducts Of Ancient Rome." Historylink101.com.

Through their ingenuity, they allowed for other people to develop and utilize methods of transporting water from natural resources to their civilizations as well. I marvel that having only the basic resources, the Romans were able to use their natural resources to create a whole new way of thinking in order for their civilizations to thrive. Few Roman aqueducts still exist today, but continue to be utilized in modern cities throughout the world today. The topic of Roman aqueducts is very intriguing and I would like to personally research more about how the Romans were able to visualize and succeed in the development of aqueducts.

Rome had several sources of water within the wall, but the groundwater was not pleasant and water from the Tiber river was unsafe for drinking. The city's major need for water had probably long exceeded its local supplies when the Aqua Appia, Rome's first aqueduct which was built in 312 B.C., was commissioned by the censor Appius Claudius Caecus. Many more aqueducts were built as the cities demanded more water. The Aqua Tepula was created in 127 B.C. and the Aqua Julia in 33 B.C.

Romans built tunnels that were about 10-20 feet down. Rome dug tunnels to get water. There was more water that flowed in the city of Rome then the amount of water the flows in New York City today. Slaves did all the work that the Romans did not want to do. They were often captives that were taken after the Roman army conquered other territories. Slaves had very few rights, and owners could treat them badly with very little fear of any legal consequences. Slaves could earn money to buy their freedom later in life. After gaining their freedom, many would often become tradesmen. At times, some slaves were highly trained as physicians. The freed slaves often bought their own slaves to work in their shops and homes. This practice aided in perpetuating the institution of slavery in Roman society. Slavery was a very large institution in Ancient Rome. It was a normal part of Roman society. It was not unusual for even a home of moderate means to have slaves. Romans had a very big population of people and that is why they needed fresh water. To get the water to their city all the engenders would have to build a gradual slope on the aqueducts to keep all the water moved up towards the city. Romans use the water to get baths, wash hands, and get drinks

The aqueducts also gave birth to another landmark in building of early mega-structures: the arches. Through use of arches, aqueducts could be made taller and longer without using a lot of building materials. The aqueducts enabled expansion of Rome and helped keep the city clean. Through aqueducts the common Roman citizen had access to running water, a quantum leap in the civic amenities as per many experts.

Waste water was dealt with by the Roman’s sewage systems and then released into convenient, nearby bodies of water. This kept Roman cities free from toxic waste, poisonous chemicals, and other unwanted materials. It was not uncommon for aqueducts to be used for mining, processing, manufacturing, and agriculture. Rome’s complex water systems ran underneath the city, throughout 260 miles of rock, and 30 miles of above ground arches. The aqueducts required very specific positioning for the water to flow at the appropriate speed and direction. Many other Roman civilizations manipulated and customized this model, tweaking it to fit their needs. It was a very popular creation. By the 3rd century AD, the city had eleven aqueducts, with sustained an overwhelming population of over 1,000,000 Roman citizens! If you think about it, this is a great abundance of water. It’s outstanding to think the Roman’s developed this with such prehistoric tools and limited knowledge. The aqueducts provided up to 1 cubic meter of water for every person in Rome. Most water went to the use of public baths. The aqueduct’s conduits were constructed from many materials, some included stone, brick, and/or concrete. These materials were used because they were strong and durable enough to carry

The ancient Romans were skilled engineers and have left lasting contributions in this field. The Romans built a great network of roads connecting cities throughout their empire. They also built aqueducts and bridges using arches for support. The Roman arch design was by far the most important innovation of their time. The arch, however, would have been useless without the discovery of concrete. The Romans had many other such discoveries that would make their engineering skills known throughout the world.