List of aqueducts in the city of Rome

This is a list of ancient Roman aqueducts in the city of Rome.

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

Introduction

In order to meet the water needs of its population, the city of Rome was eventually supplied with 11 aqueducts by 226 AD[citation needed], which were some of the city's greatest engineering achievements[citation needed]. Estimates of total water supplied in a day by all aqueducts vary from 520,000 m3 (140,000,000 US gal) to 1,127,220 m3 (297,780,000 US gal)[1]: 156-7 [2]: 347 , mostly sourced from the Aniene river and the Apennine Mountains[citation needed], serving a million citizens[citation needed]. Most of our information about Roman aqueducts come from statistics compiled in the late 1st century AD by Sextus Julius Frontinus, the Curator Aquarum[1]: 152 .

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.[3]

Aqueducts in the (ancient) city Rome
Name Year begun Year completed Length
(km)[2]: 347  		Height at
source (m) 		Height in
Rome (m) 		Average gradient
(%)[2]: 347  		Capacity
(m³ a day)[4][2]: 347  		Quality
Aqua Appia 312 BC 16 30 20 0.06 73,000
Aqua Anio Vetus 272 BC 269 BC 64 280 48 0.36 175,920
Aqua Marcia 144 BC 140 BC 91 318 59 0.27 187,600
Aqua Tepula 125 BC 18 151 61 0.5 17,800
Aqua Julia 33 BC 23 350 64 1.24 48,240
Aqua Virgo 19 BC 21 24 20 0.02 100,160
Aqua Alsietina 2 BC 33 209 17 0.6 15,680 Considered the worst in quality, and used as drinkable source only when other supplies were unavailable[2]: 169 .
Aqua Anio Novus 38 AD 52 AD 87 400 70 0.38 189,520 Considered after Alsietina the worst in quality[2]: 169 .
Aqua Claudia 38 AD 52 AD 69 320 67 0.38 184,220
Aqua Traiana 109 AD 58 - - 0.38 113,920
Aqua Alexandrina 226 AD 22 - 50 0.1 21,160

See also

References

  1. ^ a b David Deming. "The Aqueducts and Water Supply of Ancient Rome". Groundwater. 58 (1). doi:10.1111/gwat.12958.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Hodge, Trevor A. Roman Aqueducts & Water Supply. 61 Frith Street, London WlD 3JL: Gerald Duckworth & Co. Ltd. ISBN 0-7156-3171-3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ Frontinus (1925). Aqueducts of Rome. Translated by Bennett, C. E.; McElwain, Mary B. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

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