Roman Aqueducts Essay

You probably have heard of the proverb, “All roads lead to Rome”. Today, this common phrase is a lesson to people that there are many ways and methods that lead to a certain result. This applies not only in solving math and science problems using different concepts and formulas, but also in the numerous means a person can take to accomplish a task. But historically this common saying had another meaning: one that is true almost literally and figuratively. The capital of the ancient and great Roman Empire, Rome was not only the center of the Roman Empire but also the major center of the ancient world. Rome not only housed one of the largest populations, but also gave birth to many advancements in engineering, architecture, and much more. But how was Rome able to

By the end of the first century BC, the “entire population of the Roman Empire — and not just its male population — was somewhere around 4 million to 5 million people” (Thompson). Before Rome introduced its aqueducts, medieval methods of obtaining water were still in use. People in Rome, as well as around the world, relied on wells and freshwater rivers for water; rain collecting was also very popular (Mayes). Even though these methods had been in use for over many centuries, it would soon prove to be inadequate in providing the growing city of Rome enough supply of water. Rome was in need of a new infrastructure that could supply the global city with water for all activities and functions of daily life. And that is exactly what the first Roman aqueduct Aqua Appia, started by Censor Appius Claudius Caecus, accomplished (interestingly Appius also began construction of one of Rome’s first and most important roads Via Appia). It is no surprise that because of the new growth potential the aqueducts provided Rome, Pliny the Elder in his Naturalis Historia said the Roman aqueducts were “the greatest wonder the world has ever seen”