- Aqua Marcia
The Aqua Marcia was the longest of the 11 aqueducts that supplied the city of ancient
Rome . It still functions today as one of the major water sources to the modern city of Rome.The Aqua Marcia was constructed from 144 -
140 BC by thepraetor Quintus Marcius Rex , for whom it is named. It followed thevia Tiburtina into Rome, and entered the city in its eastern boundary at thePorta Tiburtina of theAurelian Wall . The aqueduct was well known for its cold and pure waters.The ancient source for the aqueduct was near the modern towns of
Arsoli and Agosta, over 91 km away in theAnio valley. This general locale, in hills to the east of the city, was used for other aqueducts as well, including theAnio Vetus ,Anio Novus , andAqua Claudia . Essentially the same source is used today to supply the modern aqueduct.The aqueduct was repaired by
Marcus Agrippa in33 BC , and then later again byAugustus , according to the inscription in the arch that was later made into the Porta Tiburtina. Augustus also augmented the supply by linking it to an additional source, the Aqua Augusta, doubling the throughput. Much of its supply was siphoned off by private citizens for their own use, making it effectively only a trickle in the city by the time ofNero .The supply was increased again by later emperors. By the timeFrontinus measured the city's aqueducts around97 , the Aqua Marcia was capable of supplying 187,600 cubic meters (6,625,000 ft³) of water a day to the city, the second greatest source of the city's water.References
* Coarelli, Filippo, "Guida Archeologica di Roma", Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, Milano, 1989.
* Claridge, Amanda, "Rome: An Oxford Archaeological Guide", Oxford University Press, New York, 1998.External links
* [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Roma/Rome/_Texts/PLATOP*/Aqua_Marcia.html Aqua Marcia entry on the Lacus Curtius website]
* [http://www.waterhistory.org/histories/rome/ Information on Roman aqueducts]
* [http://www.archeoroma.com/gli_acquedotti.htm Map of Roman aqueducts]ee also
Ancient Roman technology#aqueducts
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