Roman Aquaducts

As the city of Rome grew in prestige, so did its physical appearance.
             The Roman's skill in civl engineering is one of the things that contributed to the establishment of their civilization and empire. Their roads and bridges tied the empire together and made travel easier for everyone. Temples and magnificent public buildings beautified the cities and many still stand as a testimony to their greatness. However, it was the Roman system of supplying water to their cities that distinguished the Romans as an advanced and modern civilization emerging from classical antiquity. The arch was the main characteristic in the construction of the legendary Roman aqueducts.
             When human beings come to live together in communities any larger than small villages, the supply of water and the removal of waste become critical issus. The way these issues are dealt with determines whether the growing village becomes a thriving city or a backward and disease-ridden community. In small communities, individual households could manage the job of supplying themselves with fresh water from a stream or well. Likewise, it was the individual's responsibility to remove waste and garbage by burying it or carrying it beyond the walls of the village. As the village grew into a town, these jobs grew too large for the individuals to deal with efficiently and civic government had to take over. The Romans solved these problems by calling on their civil engineers to plan and build a centralized water distribution network and sewage system for every major town or city in the Republic. By the time of the late Republic and early Empire, Rome could boast one million inh!.
             abitants and several cities were home to several hundred thousand souls. The water supply to Roman cities had to reliably provide a continous supply of fresh, clean water in order for these cities to survive. Likewise, an efficient sewer system had to be able to carry away wastewater from homes and buildings, as well as provide drainage for low areas of the city that might become swampy areas after a rainstorm.