Water In Classical Rome

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The purpose of this paper will be to discuss the impact of water on society in Classical Rome. The way in which aqueducts were constructed, as well the power and politics surrounding the construction of these feats of engineering will be discussed. Water literally and figuratively divided and united people helped shape Rome into what it was: The First Metropolitan city. The Roman Empire grew at explosive speed due in large part to the way in which water was utilized. Interestingly, many believe that the water supply was a main cause of Rome’s historic fall. In Ancient times, people would settle where fresh drinking water was available. The rise of agriculture demanded good soil and water supply. Commercial trade grew and communities formed…show more content…
Often times the most important discussions took place in the lavish baths. What enabled the Romans the luxury to relax in baths? The short answer is Agriculture. Research has long contended that agriculture (which requires the effective harnessing of water) enabled great Empires to rise. Agriculture ‘automatically gave rise to food surpluses’ (White 1959, Foreword XV). This would allow some individuals to withdraw from primary food production. These individuals could instead focus their energy on science, politics, religion and the arts (Sedlak 2014). And of course, to develop an increasingly more complex and effective water system. Over the course of 500 years the Roman Engineers built a system that imported enough water to supply Rome with a daily usage comparable to that of our modern cities (Sedlak…show more content…
Within the following 400 years10 more aqueducts and a water system with a cumulative length of 250 of mostly canals and underground pipes (The Private Life of Romans n.d.). With gravity as its only force, the engineering and installation of the channels at the appropriate angle had to take the natural slope into account. The height at which the water source was located as well as the slope would determine how much and at what speed the water would flow. Only 5% of the water supply system is visible as aqueducts. Most are channels and underground pipes, made of lead. Architects actually did not like to build Aqueducts and tried to avoid building them were possible. They were weak, and in case of war, were easy target to cut of water supply for the enemy. The water supply infrastructure was indeed costly - given its complexity and magnitude. A large portion of the money would come from private citizens. Aqueducts and elaborate fountains were built, and grand Arcades at the city limits were decorated so that those who had contributed could marvel over their beauty and feel ownership. The aqueducts fed 39 large fountains and 591 public basins. This is not including the private baths and fountains. Each fountain was tapped in to two different aqueducts, in case one would clog or break (Wikipedia 2014). Maintenance was obviously important, as there would be cracked pipes causing leaks, debris-causing blockages. The
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