Who commissioned Rome's first aqueduct in 312 BC?
The censor Appius Claudius Caecus commissioned Rome's first aqueduct, known as the Aqua Appia. This project ran from a spring outside the city walls to the Forum Boarium cattle market.
Questions about Roman aqueduct
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What tools did Roman engineers use to measure land for water channels?
Roman engineers used a chorobates, which was a flatbed wooden frame about 6 meters long with water levels and plumb lines attached. Surveyors also plotted horizontal courses using a groma apparatus later replaced by the dioptra.
How much water did public fountains receive during Frontinus's time around 103 AD?
Roughly 10 percent of Rome's aqueduct water fed 591 public fountains during Frontinus's time around 103 AD. Water distribution prioritized these public fountains before private users received any supply.
When did Ostrogothic forces cut off aqueduct supplies to besiege Rome?
Ostrogothic forces cut off aqueduct supplies to besiege Rome during the Gothic War in 537. Belisarius defended the city using mills stationed on the Tiber river instead of relying on aqueduct water.
Who served as consul and curator aquarum simultaneously in 97 AD under Nerva?
Frontinus served as consul and curator aquarum simultaneously in 97 AD under Emperor Nerva. The office managed Rome's water supply through a familia aquarum of 460 workers including slaves and free men.