The archæology of Rome, Part 8 : $b The aqueductsParker, John Henry
History
The archæology of Rome, Part 8 : $b The aqueducts
Parker, John Henry
Rome -- Antiquities
1. The earliest aqueduct, the APPIA[239] (B.C. 312), being entirely
underground at a considerable depth, is marked by a dotted line. It
comes from old stone quarries on the bank of the river Anio, just beyond
the Caves of Cervaro, about eight miles from Rome, near the ancient Via
Collatina, called by Frontinus Prænestina, because in his time the road
to Præneste went through Collatia.
2. ANIO VETUS[240] (B.C. 272), comes also from the bank of the river
Anio, but at a much higher level than the Appia, between Tivoli and
Subiaco, near the village of Agosta, twenty miles from Rome, but the
winding course makes the whole length of the aqueduct 42 miles, 779
paces underground, and 221 paces (about 350 yards) above ground on a
substructure. It is brought at a considerably higher level than the
Appia, but still underground for the most part, though near the surface,
and sometimes only half underground. It was not legal to build over an
aqueduct anything but another aqueduct, consequently the later aqueducts
are all brought on the same line, each on a higher level, so that the
line of the Anio Novus, carried on the arches of Nero, shews at the same
time the line of the Anio Vetus nearly under it.
3. MARCIA[241] (B.C. 145). This stream also comes from near Subiaco, 39
miles from Rome, 36 on the Via Valeria, and 3 off it on a cross-road,
near the village of Arsoli. There is a small lake 38 miles from Rome on
the same road (which is another source of this aqueduct), into which the
water gushes out from under the limestone rock; it is intensely cold in
all weathers, and the water is of a light green colour in the lake. “The
length of the course is 61 miles 710 paces, of which 54 miles 247 paces
are underground, 7 miles 463 paces above ground, on an arcade for 6 miles
472 paces, on a substructure for 528 paces,” and in several places on
bridges across the gorges in the hills. This water was brought into Rome
again in 1860-70 by a new line, and was then called Aqua Marcia Pia, from
Pius IX.; the name of Pia has since been dropped.
4. VIRGO[242] (B.C. 21), made by Agrippa for his Thermæ, restored to
use by the popes in the eighth century, and frequently repaired; now
called the Aqua di Trevi, from the fountain so named. The source is on
the Via Collatina, 8 miles from Rome and 1 mile beyond the source of the
Appia. There are several springs, each with a separate small reservoir,
collected in one large reservoir, now under the road. “The length of the
course is 14 miles 105 paces.”
5. TEPULA[243] (B.C. 126). The sources of this are 12 miles from Rome,
near Grotta Ferrata and Marino, 2 miles from the old Via Latina.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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