The main achievement of the engineering thought of ancient Rome is often recognized as the construction of aqueducts. It was these structures that performed the most important function of water supply to cities that consume more and more water. But in a narrow sense, an aqueduct is not understood as the entire water supply system, but only a part of it, which is a crossing over rivers, ravines, roads. And it is these parts of the complex water supply system that currently attract thousands of tourists. So, today we will look at the Roman aqueducts.
History of Roman aqueducts
The construction of the aqueducts began in Rome. The population of this city exceeded a million inhabitants, and there was a need to supply the city not only with water for drinking, but also for technical purposes. It is worth recalling the desire of the Romans to create widespread comfort and abundant distribution of Roman thermal baths. Of course, it was possible to take water from wells, but the growth in consumption forced us to make a direct supply of water from mountain sources.
The aqueduct in Rome appeared already in the 4th century BC, and by the 3rd century BC. there were already 11 of them. In the 1st century AD, the famous Claudius aqueduct was built, which, at a height of 27 meters, was 30 km shorter than the old Marcius aqueduct (total length is about 60 kilometers). The reduction in distance has been achieved through the multiple uses of the tunnel and bridge system.
Claudius Aqueduct
Pont du Gard in Nimes (France)
Another famous Roman aqueduct was built in the 2nd century AD in the south of France across the Garde River. Its modern name is Pont du Gard or the Garde bridge. The aqueduct provided water for the city of Nîmes. The bridge is the only surviving remnant of the complex system of the Nimes aqueduct, which stretches for 50 kilometers. The bridge is 49 meters high and 275 meters long. Three arched levels stand out. The first level consists of 6 arches. The central arch of this level, connecting the banks of the river, has a span of 24.4 meters. The second level already has 11 arches. The last third level, dedicated to the water pipe, has 35 smaller arches. The Pont du Gard is currently used as a bridge crossing.
Pont du Gard
Roman aqueduct in Segovia (Spain)
The next aqueduct is located in the Spanish city of Segovia. The aqueduct is 30 meters high and 17 kilometers long. One of the surviving spans is now located right in the center of the city. To ensure central water supply, in the old days, water from this aqueduct entered the central cistern, from where it was already distributed to other intra-city systems. In the 11th century, this aqueduct was partially destroyed by the Moors, but in the 15th century it was restored and still provides water supply to the regions of Segovia.
Aqueduct in Segovia
Roman aqueducts were built even in Africa. Water supply was provided by Caesaria (aqueduct 23 km), Mactar (9 km), Carthage (80 km).
As Julius Frontinus (the main water supplier of Rome at the beginning of the 2nd century) noted, aqueducts are the main evidence of the greatness of the Roman Empire, and they cannot even be compared with the useless Egyptian pyramids and other idle buildings of Greece. Indeed, these water supply systems gave impetus to the development of civilization, rooted the construction of baths, swimming pools, fountains. And given the fact that some of these buildings from the times of the greatness of ancient Rome function to this day, one has only to be surprised and enjoy their grandeur and the genius of engineering thought of deep antiquity.
Definition 1
An aqueduct is a water conduit that is designed to supply water to settlements, as well as to hydropower and irrigation systems from those sources that are located above.
In a narrower sense, an aqueduct is a part of an aqueduct in the form of a bridge that is located above a river, road or ravine.
If the aqueduct is wide enough, then ships can pass under it as under an ordinary bridge. It is similar in design to a viaduct. However, the main difference is that it is used to transport water instead of organizing a road.
Ancient Roman aqueducts: history of origin
Ancient Roman aqueducts were designed to supply water to the population. Irrigation and hydropower systems also received recharge from them.
Ancient Roman aqueducts were made of brick, stone, reinforced concrete and steel. At the base of the aqueducts, the architects of Ancient Rome used pillars of stone, brick or cast iron, as well as a coastal abutment, on which cuvettes or pipes were placed. In order for the structure to be as stable as possible, the supports were connected by stone arches.
Despite the fact that the ancient Romans were proud of such engineering structures, aqueducts were first invented in Ancient egypt... Aqueducts were then built using limestone, and the size of the structures was much more modest. The aqueduct through which the water supply of the city of Nineveh was carried out was 80 km long. Its width was 300 meters and its height was 10 meters.
Figure 3. Limestone aqueducts. Author24 - online exchange of student papers
Already in the 7th century BC, water conduits appeared for the first time, which were made in the Roman style. About 11 aqueducts with a total length of more than 350 km were intended to supply life-giving moisture to Rome.
Remark 1
The longest is the aqueduct, which is located in Carthage (modern Tunisia), its length reaches 141 km.
However, the main part of the aqueducts was then located underground. An example is the Eifel aqueduct located in Germany. This structure can still be seen in Cologne, to which water was delivered through an underground conduit.
Ancient Roman aqueducts were built with modern and waterproof materials such as pozzolanic concrete. Despite the exact parameters that were incorporated into their design, the water conduits were too complicated.
For example, the heel of the Pont du Gard aqueduct is 34 centimeters per 1 km, and its descent reaches 17 meters along the slope. Its length reaches 50 km. Thanks to this design, the ancient Roman aqueducts remained modern a thousand years later, when the Roman Empire had already fallen.
The reason for this durability was a simple principle: the water was delivered by gravity, which was extremely effective. Many of the rules and techniques of ancient Roman builders and architects are still used today. Unfortunately, most of the practical knowledge disappeared forever during the Dark Wars. The construction of aqueducts was revived only in the 19th century.
History has preserved traces of the creativity of ancient Roman architects. Even today, travelers may be amazed at how gem-quality the outlines of some aqueducts can be. These structures are scattered all over the world, today they can be found in many countries:
- the aqueduct park located in Italy;
- the aqueduct of Caesarea, which is in Israel;
- the Hampi waterways (located in India) and the Nazca aqueduct in Peru;
- aqueduct Les Ferreres, which is located in Spain;
- the Valenta aqueduct (located in Turkey);
- water conduit Segovia in Spain.
Figure 5. Architecture of the ancient Roman aqueduct. Author24 - online exchange of student papers
Roman aqueducts - masterpieces of architecture
Roman aqueducts are true masterpieces of hydraulic engineering, they have no analogs in ancient world... Since water is a vital resource, demand for it has increased in the Mediterranean, especially during hot summers. The growth of cities led to an increased demand for water, since the 5th century BC, some large cities were supplied with water using water pipes. The first Roman aqueduct was built in 312 BC.
If you believe the calculations, then ancient Rome had high rates of water supply per person. Aqueducts were then built not only to provide water supply to the population, but also for other purposes. Part of the water was used for irrigating country gardens and for industrial needs. However, most of the water was still used for the needs of society: baths, circuses, city fountains.
Each element of the aqueduct, viewed in isolation, is impressive. However, if we take into account all the scale of the organization, as well as the practical embodiment of architects and the ability of Roman engineers to solve the most complex problems of water supply, then we can agree with the opinion of the ancient authors Frontinus or Pliny the Elder that the ancient Roman aqueducts are one of the greatest wonders of the ancient world.
How are the aqueducts of ancient Rome arranged?
Almost all ancient Roman aqueducts were the simplest gravity structures. The source was located slightly above the city that served it, and the water supply had a constant downward slope so that the water flowed downward under the influence of gravity.
For the city, water was supplied through a rectangular gutter, which was lined from the inside with a waterproof putty made of crushed terracotta and lime. The gutter was closed from above to keep the water clean, but it was not completely clogged like modern water pipes. The angle of inclination was small so that the water does not wash out the bottom of the gutter. But at the same time, he had to ensure the movement of the water flow.
If possible, the aqueduct trough was located in the ground, but in some places it rose to a solid stone foundation to create an even angle of inclination at the intersection of depressions and small lowlands. Short vertical sections were introduced periodically to compensate for the steep slopes.
When approaching the city, the aqueduct walked along the arches, since many cities Of the ancient world were built on hills, and the canal with water had to be pulled up to such a height that water could easily enter the city. As a result of this, such impressive works of ancient Roman architecture as aqueducts appeared.
Aqueduct architecture: the world's most famous structures
Aqueducts are an important achievement of the engineers of Ancient Rome. Thanks to the construction of these structures, the Romans were able to establish an impeccable water supply system. major citieswho needed a lot of water.
By the grandeur of architectural thought, the most famous and impressive were the aqueducts of Ancient Rome. On excursions, tourists can still see some aqueducts, which are perfectly preserved in many European cities.
In the 6th century BC, the inhabitants of the millionth city of Rome felt the need to build an aqueduct to supply drinking and industrial water to the city. For the townspeople, water was supplied in sufficient quantities, since it was necessary for the organization of Roman saunas and thermal baths.
The first bridge, 16 km long, was the Aquia Alia. After that, the Romans built the aqueducts of Claudius and Marcius, which supplied the city with water without interruption.
Garda aqueduct... It is the Garda aqueduct that has been best preserved to our time, which had a height of 275 meters. It is located in the French province near the city of Nimes. The architects left an inscription on the wall of the waterway, which indicates the exact time of construction and the original height of the bridge. Aqueduct The Garda aqueduct was even higher than the Colosseum. The bridge with numerous arches was built using stone blocks, some of which weighed 6 tons. Despite the lack of decorative elements, the aqueduct is very simple and easy to use. The architects of the bridge could accurately calculate all the load-bearing details and arrange the arches strictly symmetrically. The three-tiered aqueduct has several arched rows that are located one above the other. It was this ancient Roman aqueduct that was most often used as a highway. But due to wear and tear, it was closed for movement of vehicles on the bridge. The highlight of this aqueduct is its construction method: a huge number of stone blocks are held only by the jewelery fit of the stone. During construction, cement and other bonding materials were used. All stone blocks adhere flawlessly to each other. On the second tier, there is a block on which the name "Veranius" is carved - perhaps this is the name of the architect who developed the project of the Garda aqueduct.
Carthaginian aqueduct... No less famous aqueduct of Ancient Rome is the Carthaginian aqueduct. Today only ruins remain from it. When it was needed to supply water from the reservoirs of the Tunisian Atlas. Its length was 132 kilometers. Streams of water flowed down in a natural way along the sloping relief. The water conduit itself was constructed by the inhabitants of Carthage, and the Romans have already completed the construction. Several times the aqueduct was reconstructed and restored.
Figure 9. Carthaginian aqueduct. Author24 - online exchange of student papers
Aqueduct in Segovia... An ancient Roman medieval bridge with a height of 30 meters is located in the province of Spain Segovia. Its duration is 17 kilometers. Today, only one flight of it has survived, which can be seen in the city center. The stream of water that passed through the aqueduct was directed into huge cisterns, and after that the water went through the intra-city canals. In the XI century, the water conduit was destroyed by the Moors, but it was soon restored.
Valens Aqueduct... The Romans even in the northern lands of Africa built the aqueducts of Ancient Rome. In the vicinity of Istanbul, you can now see the ruins that were once the famous and powerful Valens aqueduct. It has undergone reconstruction many times. The aqueduct was distinguished by a pronounced Roman style, it was decorated with arches. From one of the many arches begins the famous tourist route - Ataturk Boulevard.
Underground reservoir room with 336 columns - Basilica Cistern. This building is located not far from the Temple of Sophia. The water storage was built for almost a quarter of a century. The Basilica Cistern has been in use for thousands of years. Now it is a museum of man-made wonders that attracts tourists from all over the world.
Aqueduct of the Temple of Artemis... This is an aqueduct located in Ephesus. Then, not only baths, schools and theaters were built in the city, but also aqueducts to ensure water supply. The plumbing was made of ceramic material. It took place both underground and on the surface of the earth. The water main consisted of pipe sections that were attached to each other with a grid connector.
Aqueducts became an important achievement of ancient Roman engineers: thanks to the construction of these structures, the Romans managed to establish an ideal water supply system for cities that require a large flow of water.
The aqueduct is an irrigation canal that runs through roads and rivers: these canals were used to deliver water to cities. If the aqueduct was stretched on the surface of the earth, then the top was blocked in order to keep the water clean. Often, on the way of such ancient pipelines, there were ravines or pits: then architects worked to create durable and almost airy structures. Arched spans adorned and complemented the landscape. The arches went in several tiers: this helped to make the structure especially stable.
The oldest aqueducts in the world are known - these are Egyptian and Middle Eastern structures that supplied water to the ancient states, Egypt and Nineveh.
Roman aqueducts: history
The most outstanding in terms of the grandeur of architectural thought and the complexity of structures were the aqueducts of Ancient Rome. Until now, tourists can see on excursions some well-preserved water pipes in European cities.
In the 6th century BC, the inhabitants of the millionth city of Rome had an urgent need to build an aqueduct to supply drinking and industrial water to the city. The townspeople did not receive enough water, in addition, water was required to provide thermal baths, Roman saunas.
Aquia Apia became the first bridge with a length of 16 km. Further, the Romans built the aqueducts of Marcius and Claudius: they regularly supplied the city with water.
Famous ancient aqueducts
1. Best of all managed to preserve the 275-meter Garda aqueduct, located in one of the French provinces near the large city of Nimes. On the wall of the structure, the architects left an inscription, according to which scientists were able to establish the approximate time of construction and the original height of the bridge - the aqueduct was higher than the famous Colosseum.
Masons worked on the construction of the building, led by the son-in-law of the Emperor Augustus. The bridge with numerous arches was built of stone blocks: some of them weighed 6 tons. This aqueduct supplied water from the Fontan del Yur river: despite the lack of decorative elements, the bridge is very functional and simple in design.
A long and durable aqueduct pulled water over a very difficult terrain: the architects of the bridge were able to calculate the load-bearing parts with high precision and arrange the arches according to the law of strict symmetry. The three-tiered aqueduct consists of several rows of arches placed one above the other.
Among the surviving aqueducts of Ancient Rome, it was this one that was intensively used for a long time as a highway, but due to the deterioration of the structure, the bridge was closed for traffic. Nowadays, car traffic is prohibited on the aqueduct - only pedestrians are allowed through.
A special highlight of the aqueduct is its unique construction method: a large number of stone blocks are supported only by a jewelry fit of the stone. No cement or other building blocking components are used in the construction, but the blocks adhere flawlessly to each other. On a block in the second tier, the researchers found the name "Veranius" carved into the stone - perhaps this name belongs to the architect of the bridge.
2. Among other aqueducts of Ancient Rome, the Carthaginian aqueduct is known - now only ruins remain of it, and once it supplied water to the city from the rivers of the Tunisian Atlas. This powerful structure was 132 km long. Streams of water flowed naturally along the slopes of the relief. The aqueduct itself was laid by the inhabitants of Carthage, and the construction was completed by the Romans. The structure was destroyed and rebuilt several times.
3. An ancient water bridge of 30 meters height is located in the Spanish province of Segovia - it stretches for 17 kilometers. One of the spans of the former bridge, now preserved, can be seen in the city center. The flow from this water pipeline was directed first to large cisterns, then from the reservoirs the water went through other intracity canals. The structure was destroyed by the Moors in the XI century, but then the aqueduct was quickly restored.
4. Constantinople was a large and well-developed city, where there was also a great need for a clean water supply. Even in the northern lands of Africa, you can find the aqueducts of Ancient Rome - the Romans built a public water supply system on this territory. Now in the vicinity of Istanbul, tourists are still shown the ruins - a small fragment of the building. It was one of the most famous and powerful aqueducts - Valens, which was also reconstructed many times. The aqueduct was distinguished by the classical Roman style, the bridge was decorated with arches, from one of which the famous tourist route - Ataturk Boulevard began.
5. The ancient engineers were able not only to supply the city with water, but also to develop a successful system for retaining moisture. More than 40 reservoirs worked in ancient Istanbul, some of them are still functioning.
Tourists go to Istanbul to see a unique underground tank hall with 336 columns: this is the Basilica Cistern, located not far from the Temple of Sophia. The water storage was rebuilt for almost a quarter of a century, and this reservoir has been used for more than 1000 years. Now it is a real museum of man-made wonders, attracting travelers from all over the world.
6. The aqueduct in Ephesus is also interesting - ancient city, in which the white marble temple of Artemis was erected. After the wars, the city fell under the power of the Romans, who sought to improve all their allotments. In Ephesus, they built not only baths and libraries, schools and a theater, but also a water supply system with an aqueduct. The plumbing was created from ceramic material, it ran above and below the ground. The water main was assembled from pipe sections, interconnected by functional grid connections.
Ancient Rome water pipes
See ancient aqueducts and visit the most interesting placesrelated to the history of Rome, it is quite possible - it is enough to purchase an affordable travel package from the travel agency website. This is an extensive selection of tours and the most comfortable travel conditions, pleasant experiences from excursions and excellent service.
Water is more valuable than gold... The rulers of Ancient Rome understood this perfectly and invested gold in the construction of water pipes. The water in the Eternal City has retained its magical power to this day. Imagine for a moment magnificent without fountains or the mesmerizing noise of flowing water. Don't you think that the city will suddenly become lifeless and callous, and summer heat will forever discourage the desire to look at the dry troughs of the fountains and the dried lips of nymphs, newts and dolphins?
How did the Romans manage to turn water into the gold reserve of a powerful empire?
Plumbing and the politics of the Caesars
As you know, in order to maintain peace, tranquility and satisfaction of citizens in Ancient Rome, the universal idea of \u200b\u200b"Panem et circences" acted - Meal'n'Real... Thus, each ruler tried to win his popularity and support of the people. To this we can safely add another important element in the internal policy of those in power in Ancient Rome - the supply of the city with drinking water in unprecedented quantities.
| Water has long been considered one of the main components for maintaining human life, and it is no coincidence that all large cities in ancient times arose precisely on the banks of rivers. In addition to the water of the Tiber, the ancient Romans used many sources, the names of which have come down to us from ancient literary documents or discovered through archaeological excavations. We hear many of them, for example, Fons Lupercales - a spring near the grotto where a she-wolf nursed the twins Romulus and Remus with her milk, or Fons Juturnae - a source in the Roman Forum, where two brave brothers Castor and Pollux watered their horses after the battle with the Etruscans, and many other sources. However, this was not enough because Rome was a special city. |
Roman baths - hygiene, culture and lifestyle
As a sovereign city, Rome was a symbol of luxury and wealth. During its heyday, about a million inhabitants lived in the city, and each of them had up to a thousand liters of water per day! For entertainment, ship battles were organized in specially built buildings Naumahiyah... The most famous of them is Naumachia Augusta, built on Trastevere.
The ancient Romans, taking as a basis the culture and achievements of the Etruscan and ancient Greek civilizations, used with great pleasure the baths and natural sources of water. However, this, at first glance, elementary hygienic procedure has acquired a new look. The ancient Roman Baths have turned into places of entertainment and leisure. The baths had libraries, gyms, bathing halls, steam rooms and various pools, massage rooms. In addition, the baths housed trade shops, chic pavilions for drinks and food, as well as corners for religious cults.
Ancient aqueducts of Rome
The famous hydraulic system of the Roman water supply began its existence during the wars with Samnites,and we know the exact date - 312 BC. e. The first aqueduct of ancient Rome, Aqua Appia, was built during the reign of the magistrates Apio Claudio Crasso (Appius Claudius Crassus), nicknamed Cieco ( cheko -blind), and Gaio Plauzio Venoce (Guy Plautius).
reference... The merit of Gaius Plavtius was the conduct of exploration work: the discovery of a source of clean water, which was a very troublesome and responsible business, with a questioning of the population about the quality of water, with research of water reserves and other things. But despite all this, Appius Claudius managed to destroy his name and single-handedly enjoy the triumph. This is evidenced by a memorial marble plaque at the Forum of Augustus describing the merits of Appius Claudius before Rome.
Aqua Appia
The springs of the Aqua Appia aqueduct were located 15 km from Rome in the spacious Agro Luculanum area in the Prenestina area. Almost the entire length of the aqueduct was laid underground and came to the surface near Settizodio (Palatine), carrying water through the arches to the Bull Market. Here water was collected in cisterns and distributed to different parts of the city.
Almost 40 years pass and a second aqueduct is being built for the city of Rome - Anio Vetus(L'Aniene Vecchio). In a short time (from 272 to 269 BC), an aqueduct was built with funds from the spoils of war in the war with Pyrrhus and the inhabitants of Taranto. The construction was headed by the magistrates Manius Curius Dentatus and Marco Fulvio Flacco (Mark Fulvius Flacco). Water was supplied from the headwaters of the Aniene River in the area of \u200b\u200bthe present settlements of Vicovaro and Mandela. For the first time, the Romans create the longest aqueduct in the history of mankind - more than 63 km.
At that time, the Romans did not have much experience in building long aqueducts. They faced the problem of elevation differences, while it was necessary to observe the necessary slope for the water to flow by gravity, so the aqueduct dodges. Since the water was supplied directly from the river, its filling with water at different times of the year was variable, which created many serious problems. So, in the summer, the water level in the river fell, and in winter time the water was dirty. Ultimately, the Romans began to use the water of the aqueduct exclusively for irrigation.
The failure in the construction of Anio Vetus served as an invaluable experience and already the next, third aqueduct - Aqua marcia, built in 144 BC. e., recognized as one of the best. The construction began and was headed by the praetor of Rome Quinto Marcio Re (Quinto Marchio Re). Sources of clean water have been found at the headwaters of the Agnene River, between the two modern settlements of Arsoli and Agosta. The cold and purest water of a whole group of springs was combined into one channel for supply to Rome.
reference... It is said that Emperor Nero decided to swim in the cold water channel Aqua March on one of the hot summer days and almost died from loss of consciousness and convulsions. In historical documents, we read that Aqua March water is recognized as the best for diluting wine. In ancient Rome, wine was drunk diluted.
The aqueduct was over 91 km long. Most of it (63 km) passed underground and only occasionally appeared on the surface, where it walked along arches. In Rome, the aqueduct ended in the Porta Maggiore area, at the highest point in the city, where the water reached the cistern. The place is called Spem Veterem, after the ancient pagan Temple that stood here - Tempio della Speranza Vecchia. In a later period, two branches of the aqueduct were built Aqua March... The first line was laid by the Emperor Diocletian to supply his Aqua Jovia Baths, and the Emperor Caracalla created another to supply water Baths of Caracalla.
The fourth aqueduct of Rome - Aqua tepula (Aqua Tepula) was built in 125 BC. e. by the censor of Gneo Servilio Cepione (Gnei Servilius Cepione). The peculiarity of the aqueduct is that the water temperature never dropped below 17 °. Hence the name tepula - warm. Water was taken in the area of \u200b\u200bthe present-day Grottaferrata and Marino.
Later, Marc Agrippa combined the aqueduct with the Aqua Iulia aqueduct, providing water to the area of \u200b\u200btoday's Latina Street.
Aqueduct Aqua julia - the first of three aqueducts during the reign of Emperor Augustus. The aqueduct was built by Augustus' son-in-law and best friend, military leader, politician and engineer Marco Vipsanio Agrippa (Mark Vipsanio Agrippa) in 33 BC. Sources for the aqueduct were found near the village of Squarciarelli, near the town of Grottaferrata. The aqueduct was 23 km long and its canal ran using the arches of the Aqua Marcia aqueduct, together with the Aqua Tepula canal. In the section, you can see three canals located one above the other.
The sixth aqueduct of ancient Rome Aqua virgo was built in 19 BC. Marco Vipsanio Agrippa. This was the second aqueduct during the reign of Augustus and was a brilliant confirmation of Agrippa's ingenious project. The water sources of the Virgo Aqueduct were located in the area of \u200b\u200bthe present town of Salone, which is on the eighth mile of the Collatina road. The length of the aqueduct is almost 20 km, it all lies underground, thanks to this it has remained unharmed for centuries and operates to this day. It is no coincidence that the name of the aqueduct Virgo (Vergine - it.), Which means Virgin. Legend has it that a local girl showed Agrippa and his soldiers the place of a source of pristine water. One of the beautiful reliefs, which is the final destination of the aqueduct, is dedicated to this event.
Aqueduct Aqua alsietina (or Augusta) was built by Emperor Augustus in 2 BC. and originates from the small lake Martignano, in antiquity called Lacus Alsietinus. The aqueduct was 33 km long and its water was not particularly clear. Therefore, the water of the aqueduct was used mainly to fill a special structure - Naumachia (see photo). The building served as the site of an unusually popular performance in ancient Rome - ship battles or naval battles and it took more than 15 days to fill it with water.
reference... From ancient sources it is known that Emperor Augustus was especially proud of the beautiful construction of Naumachia on the right bank of the Tiber in the Trastevere region. However, the exact location of this structure still remains a mystery to archaeologists around the world.
The eighth aqueduct of ancient Rome Aqua claudia and ninth Anio novus were built in the same historical periods: the construction was started by the emperor Caligula in 37-38 and completed by the emperor Claudius in 52. Both aqueducts come from the headwaters of the Aniene River, the water sources were located in the area between the settlements of Arsoli and Agosta. The Claudius Aqueduct ran parallel to the March aqueduct and, in the Capanelle Park, comes out to the surface, where both channels were located one above the other, using the same arches. The water of the Aqua Claudia aqueduct was considered the best in Rome along with the water of the Aqua Marcia aqueduct.
reference... In the Tor Fiscale area, near the 12th century tower, you can see the crosshairs of aqueducts in two places. They form a trapezoidal square called Campo barbarico (Field of the Barbarian). It so happened that in the 6th century, during the Gothic-Byzantine clashes, the Goths besieged Rome and settled in this place. They walled up the arches and built a kind of fortress. This kind of arrangement allowed them to control the flow of goods, which ensured a complete blockade of Rome.
In Rome, aqueducts enter separately and end at the traditional site of Porta Maggiore, from where the water entered the cisterns. A branch of the Aqua Claudia aqueduct was built, which was called Celimontanoand served to provide water to the famous Golden House of Nero (Domus Aurea).
Tenth Aqueduct of Rome Aqua traiana was built by Emperor Trajan in 109 with funds from war booty from Dacia. The emperor's engineers identified suitable water sources for the aqueduct in the Lacus Sabatinus area at the foot of the mountains. The aqueduct is 58 km long, it followed the Cassia road and ended at Mount Gianicolo, where the cistern was. From there they supplied water to the Trastevere region of Rome. Trajan's water supply has long served the residents of Trastevere as the only source of clean drinking water. In the 17th century, Pope Paul V Borghese reconstructed the aqueduct, which was renamed Aqua Paola.
Eleventh and last aqueduct Aqua alessandrina was built by the last representative of the Sever dynasty - Alexander Sever in 226. Water sources were found three kilometers from the town of Colonna. The length of the aqueduct is 22 kilometers. It represents the “swan song” of ancient Roman engineering. Throughout its entire length, the aqueduct runs along the surface in the form of slender arches. He delivered water exclusively to the Champ de Mars to provide the Baths of Alexandrina (the baths of Nero restored by Alexander Sever).
The Romans never stopped halfway. For them, natural barriers and terrain were just an excuse to create another technical miracle. Money and human sacrifice did not matter. The Empire's investments in bold projects have always paid off handsomely. Gradually, Rome turned into a gigantic reservoir of fresh water that could be directed anywhere and in any quantity. The waters of the Tiber ceased to be a vital source of moisture, and the empire gained an independence that cannot be compared with anything else.
Later, bold aqueduct designs would be repeated throughout the Roman Empire. Aqueducts will appear in the Roman colonies: Pont du Gard in France, Aqueduct in Spanish Segovia, Eifel aqueduct in Germany, Gadara's aqueduct in Syria, Diocletian's aqueduct in Croatia and many others.
Interactive map of Roman aqueducts
Aqueducts of Rome - technical information
Name | Year of construction | Daily volume inquinarii | Length (in steps or km) |
|---|---|---|---|
312 BC e. | 841 - 34.000 mc | ||
272 - 270 BC e. | |||
145 BC e. | 4600 - 187.000 mc | ||
125 BC e. | 16.000 - 18.000 mc | ||
48.000 - 50.000 mc | |||
100.000 - 103.000 mc | |||
184.000 - 196.000 mc | |||
Acqua Alexandrina |
History
Although aqueducts are most associated with the Romans, they were invented centuries earlier in the Middle East, where the Babylonians and Egyptians built elaborate irrigation systems. Roman-style aqueducts were used as early as the 7th century BC. e. when the Assyrians built a limestone aqueduct 10 meters high and 300 meters long to carry water across the valley to their capital, Nineveh; the total length of the aqueduct was 80 kilometers.
Aqueducts of Ancient Rome
The Romans built numerous aqueducts to deliver water to cities and industrial sites. In the city of Rome itself, water was supplied through 11 aqueducts, which were built over 500 years and had a total length of almost 350 kilometers. However, only 47 kilometers of them were unsuitable: most of them went underground (the Eiffel aqueduct in Germany is a very well-preserved example of this). The longest Roman aqueduct was built in the 2nd century AD to supply water to Carthage (now this place is located on the territory of modern Tunisia), its length was 141 kilometers.
During construction, advanced construction Materials - such as waterproof pozzolanic concrete.
Roman aqueducts were extremely complex structures, technologically they did not become obsolete even 1000 years after the fall of the Roman Empire. They were built with remarkable precision: the Pont du Gard aqueduct in Provence had a slope of only 34 cm per kilometer (1: 3000), descended only 17 meters vertically for its entire length of 50 kilometers.
Transporting water by gravity alone was very efficient: 20,000 cubic meters of water passed through the Pont du Gard per day. Sometimes, when crossing surface depressions with a drop of more than 50 meters, pressure water pipelines were created - siphons (although almost always the insides of bridges were used for these purposes). Modern hydraulic engineering uses similar techniques to allow collectors and water pipes to cross different depressions.
Further development of the aqueduct system
Much of the experience of Roman engineers was lost during the Dark Ages, and in Europe the construction of aqueducts practically ceased until the 19th century. Water was often obtained by digging wells, although this could cause health problems when the local water supply became polluted.
One notable exception was the New River, an artificial waterway in England that opened a year to supply London with fresh drinking water. Its length was 62 kilometers. The development of the canals gave a new impetus to the construction of aqueducts. However, it was not until the 19th century that their construction resumed on a large scale to supply water to fast-growing cities and industrial places in need of water. The development of new materials (such as concrete and cast iron) and new technologies (such as the steam engine) have led to many significant improvements. For example, cast iron allowed the construction of large siphons loaded with greater pressure, and the creation of steam-powered pumps made it possible to significantly increase the speed and volume of the water flow.
In the 19th century, England became a leading power in the construction of aqueducts, supplying water to its largest cities such as Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool. The largest aqueducts were built in the United States to supply water to the largest cities in this country. The Catskill Aqueduct brought water to New York City over a distance of 190 kilometers, but this achievement was dwarfed by aqueducts in the far west of the country, most notably the Colorado River Aqueduct, which supplied water to Los Angeles and the surrounding area from a distance of 400 kilometers to the east. While such aqueducts are undoubtedly great technical advances, the enormous amount of water they transported has resulted in severe environmental damage resulting from the depletion of rivers.
Aqueducts in Russia
Rostokinsky aqueduct in Moscow
see also
Notes
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See what the "Roman Aqueduct" is in other dictionaries:
Aqueduct - Aqueduct. (Rostokinsky in Moscow). AKVEDUK (from the Latin aqua water and duco lead), a structure in the form of a bridge or overpass with a water conduit (pipe, tray, channel) supplying water to settlements, irrigation and other systems from those located above ... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary
aqueduct -\u003e,). /\u003e Roman aqueduct at Caesarea (,). Roman aqueduct at Caesarea (,). aqueduct (“conducting water”) water supply (,) for supplying settlements with water (,.). The most remarkable part of the conduit (), which was laid over ... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary "World History"
This term has other meanings, see Aqueduct (disambiguation). Pont du Gard, France, an ancient Roman aqueduct that has survived to this day, one of the most visited tourist destinations in France ... Wikipedia
- (lat., from aquae ductus, aqua water, and duco lead). 1) water supply system, mainly ancient Roman. 2) in technology, a bridge that serves not for passage, but for the passage of water. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. ... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
Map of the passage of the Eifel aqueduct (red line) The Eifel aqueduct is one of the longest Roman aqueducts and ... Wikipedia
Aqueduct - (lat. Aquaeductus, from aqua - water and duco - lead) a water conduit (canal, pipe) for supplying water to settlements, irrigation and hydropower systems from their sources located above. An aqueduct is also called a part of a conduit in the form of ... ... Architectural vocabulary
- (Tiberius Claudius Nero Germanicus, as the Roman emperor Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus) the youngest son of Nero K. Drusus, the stepson of Augustus; genus. in Lyons in 10 BC Painful and weak by nature, he received a careless upbringing ... Encyclopedic Dictionary of F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron
