Water Distribution in Ancient Rome: The Evidence of Frontinus

Any modern urban dweller in a hot, dry climate allows the value of the water supply; the Romans were no exception. Over a span of several centuries Rome supplied itself with a system of aqueducts that watered many neighborhoods and allowed the city to grow and expand. Water Distribution in Ancient Rome examines the nature and effects of this system and considers numerous important and interesting questions: How did water travel to the many neighborhoods of hilly Rome? Which neighborhoods were connected to the water system and how? What effects did the presence or absence of water have on the character of a given locale? Water Distribution in Ancient Rome draws on the difficult but critical work of the Roman engineer Frontinus. A consideration of Frontinus' writing, provided here in translation, reveals comprehensive planning by city officials over long periods of time and the difficulties these engineering feats posed. This engagingly written volume includes studies of the individual aqueducts and the neighborhoods they served. Water Distribution in Ancient Rome will be essential reading for students and scholars of Frontinus, of Roman engineering and the history of Rome, and of topography and archaeology.