List of aqueducts in the city of Rome

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This article lists ancient Roman aqueducts in the city of Rome.

The eleven ancient aqueducts of Rome
Route of the aqueducts outside of Rome

Introduction[edit]

In order to meet the massive water needs of its huge population, the city of Rome was eventually supplied with 11 aqueducts by 226 AD, which were some of the city's greatest engineering achievements. Their combined capacity was capable of supplying at least 1,127,000 m3 (nearly 300 million gallons)[citation needed] of water to the city each day mostly from the Aniene river and the Apennine Mountains, serving a million citizens. Detailed statistics[1] for the city's aqueducts were logged around 97 AD by Sextus Julius Frontinus, the Curator Aquarum (superintendent of the aqueducts) for Rome during the reign of Nerva. Less information is known about aqueducts built after Frontinus.

These estimates may not have considered water loss. Modern engineers have questioned the validity of these figures and measured Anio Novus limestone deposits to estimate the average wetted perimeter and surface roughness corresponding to only 2/3 of the flow figure given below.[2]

Table[edit]

Aqueducts in Rome
Name Year begun Year completed Length
(km)
Height at
source (m)
Height in
Rome (m)
Average gradient
(%)
Capacity
(m³ a day)[3]
Aqua Appia 312 BC 16.5 30 20 0.06 73,000
Aqua Anio Vetus 272 BC 269 BC 64 280 48 0.36 176,000
Aqua Marcia 144 BC 140 BC 91 318 59 0.28 188,000
Aqua Tepula 125 BC 18 151 61 0.51 18,000
Aqua Julia 33 BC 22 350 64 1.32 48,000
Aqua Virgo 19 BC 21 24 20 0.02 100,000
Aqua Alsietina 2 BC 33 209 17 0.59 16,000
(not drinkable)
Aqua Anio Novus 38 AD 52 AD 87 400 70 0.38 189,000
Aqua Claudia 38 AD 52 AD 69 320 67 0.37 184,000
Aqua Traiana 109 AD 33 - - -
Aqua Alexandrina 226 AD 22 - 50 - 120,000 to 320,000

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Frontinus, De aquaeductu
  2. ^ Sturgeon, Clair; Shidlauski, Kristina (2015). "Illinois team solves ancient Roman water supply mystery". CEE. Fall 2015. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: 24.
  3. ^ Frontinus, De aquaeductu

External links[edit]

Media related to Ancient Roman aqueducts in Rome at Wikimedia Commons