A complete dictionary of the Greek and Roman antiquities explaining the obscure places in classic authors and ancient historians relating to the religion, mythology, history, geography and chronology of the ancient Greeks and Romans, their ... rites and customs, laws, polity, arts and engines of war : also an account of their navigations, arts and sciences and the inventors of them : with the lives and opinions of their philosophers / compiled originally in French ... by Monsieur Danet ; made English, with the addition of very useful mapps.

AQUAEDUCTUS,

an Aquaeduct, a Stru∣cture made of Stone, standing upon an uneven Ground, which was to preserve the Level of the Water, and to convey it through a Canal from one place to another. The Romans were very magnificent in their Aquaeducts, which were sometimes an hundred thousand geome∣trical paces long.

The precise time when Aquaeducts first be∣gan to be made at Rome is not certainly known. Pliny informs us, that Ancus Martius, the King, was the first who began to bring Water from a Fountain call'd Aufeia, which was afterwards call'd, from his Name, Aqua Martia. Frontinus who liv'd under the Emperour Nerva, and has wrote a long Treatise upon this Subject, attri∣butes the first Aquaeduct to Appius Claudius, Censor together with M. Plautius Venox, who in the year 441, under the Consulship of M. Va∣lerius and P. Decius, built a subterraneous Water∣passage of strong Stones, vaulted at top; the rais'd Arches were of Brick or very hard Stone, and were call'd, Substructiones, opera arcuata, aerii fornices, & camerati arcus, which are mentioned by Cassiodorus.

The Height of the Aquaeduct of Aqua Mar∣tia, which Q. Martius built, was level with the Top of the Viminal Mount; and that of Aqua Appia was rais'd an hundred feet above the Ground.

Some have reckon'd up fourteen Aquaeducts which convey'd Water to Rome, that were of admirable Structure; but Frontinus, who was the the grand Over-seer of these Waters under the Emperour Nerva, says there were but nine Aquaeducts, in his time, at Rome.

The first was that which convey'd the Aqua Appia, so call'd from Appius Claudius, Censor, who gather'd Water together from many pla∣ces in the Territory of Freseati, about seven or eight Miles from Rome, and from thence con∣vey'd it through Canals and Arches into the City; the Current of this Water from its Spring-head, as far as to the Sabini, near the Forta Tergemina was eleven thousand one hun∣dred and ninety paces long: it was divided at Rome, near the Mons Testaccus, into twenty

Castles or Repositories, called Castella, and af∣terwards distributed by many Pipes into seve∣ral Quarters of the City.

The second was that of the Water of the old Tiverone, call'd Anio Vetus, begun by the Censor M. Curius Dentatus, in the year 481, under the Consulship of Septimius Carbilius and L. Papy∣rius (for the building whereof he employ'd all the Spoils he had got from King Pyrrhus) and at last finished by Fulvius Flaccus the grand Overseer of the Waters. The Canal began about twenty miles from Rome, above Tivoli, its Course was forty two thousand two hun∣dred eighty seven paces. This Water serv'd only to wash withal, to water Gardens, and for Drink for Beasts.

The third Aquaeduct was that of the Aqua Martia, made by the Industry of Martius sur∣named Rex, which was begun by Ancus Mar∣tius the King. This Water came from the Fountain call'd Piconia, which is in the utmost part of the Mountains of Peligni; its Course extended to sixty one thousand seven hundred and ten paces, through subterraneous Chan∣nels, and Arches equal to Mount Viminalis: It entred into the City by the Porta Esquilina, and having furnish'd two Mountains of Rome, the Viminal and Quirinal, it emptied it self in∣to fifty one Cisterns, for the Convenience of many Parts of the City, for this Water was the clearest and best to drink. This Aquaeduct was built in the year 609. under the Consul∣ship of Sulpitius Galba and Aurelius Cotta.

The fourth Aquaeduct was that of the Wa∣ter called Tepula, which the Censors Cn. Servi∣lius Scipio and L. Cassius Longinus, convey'd from the Territory of Frescati to the Capitol, being twelve thousand paces long. This Spring had no certain Source, but only some little Veins or Branches, which met together in the Canal of the Aqua Julia: one part of this Water was convey'd to the Country, and the other to the City, which was kept in fourteen Conservato∣ries, and distributed into the several Quarters of the City.

The fifth was that of Aqua Julia, which M. Agrippa erected in the time of Augustus, and to which, in honour of it, he gave his Name. This Water was collected, from many Sour∣ces into one great Water-house about six miles from Rome, its Course extended to fifteen thou∣sand paces and an half; it pass'd through the Porta Esquilina, and the Trophies of Marius, and emptied it self into seventeen Cisterns, for the Accommodation of the several Quar∣ters of the City.

The sixth was that of Aqua Virginis, so cal∣led, because a young Maid first discover'd its Spring-head to the Souldiers when they were searching for Water, as Frontinus tells us in his First Book of Aquaeducts. This was also the work of Agrippa which he finished in one Year, and about thirteen years after he had built the for∣mer. Its Canal began about eight miles from Rome, in the Territory of Tusculum, near the Bridge Salaro, and its Course extended to four∣teen thousand one hundred and five paces. It passed through the Campus Martius, and em∣ptied it self into many Cisterns, for the con∣venience of the several Quarters of the City. This Water, to this day is still called Aqua Virginis, and is the only ancient Aquaeduct that remains: Pope Nicolas V. repair'd it.

The seventh Aquaeduct was that of a Lake called Alsietina, four thousand paces distant from Rome, and six miles to the right-hand from the Via Appia. This was the Work of Augustus, and from his Name it was called Via Augusta. It served only to fill the Circas with Water for the Naumachiae or Sea-fights, and for watering Gardens.

The eighth was begun by the Emperour Caligula, but Death prevented his finishing it: Claudius his Successor thought the Design was too brave to leave it imperfect. Pliny never speaks of this Work but with great Admira∣tion. It convey'd the Water of two fine Springs, call'd Caeruleus and Curtius, which were in the Country of the Latins, thirty eight thousand paces distant from Rome, holding its Course for the space of forty six thousand pa∣ces in length, through many Arches, which terminate at last in the Porta Nevia, and rise as high as Mount Aventine. This Water was called Claudia from Claudius, and was very good to drink.

The ninth was also begun by Caligula, and finish'd by Claudius in the same year with the former. It derives its Water from a place fur∣ther off than any of the rest, viz. at the di∣stance of sixty two thousand paces from the City, from a muddy River call'd Tiverone or Anio, from which another Aquaeduct was for∣merly made, and this latter is nam'd Anio No∣vus. Claudius thought fit, for purifying his thick and muddy Waters, to make, at the distance of four thousand paces from their first Rising, a Pool or Pond, wherein the Mud might settle to the bottom, which was call'd Piscina Limaria; but notwitstanding all this Precaution, when the Rains fell, the Water came to Rome very thick.

These two Works were worthy of a great Prince, as well for the Height and Magnifi∣cence, as for the excessive Expences that were laid out upon them, which were found to a∣mount, according to the Computation of Vi∣genere, to thirteen millions eight hundred seventy five thousand Crowns: Vicit anteceden∣tes Aquarum ductus neo••ssimum impendium oper i••

inchoati à Caesare & peracti à Claudio; quippe à lapide quadragesimo ad eam excelsitatem, ut in om∣nes Urbis montes levarentur, &c.

These are the nine Aquaeducts which Fronti∣nus treats of, that had 13594 pipes, which he calls Quinarios and were one inch in diameter and 3 in circumference. The first Aquaeduct of the Aqua Appia had 694 pipes: The Anio Vitus, or the Teverone, had 1981: That of the Aqua Martia had 1741: The Tepula had 445: The Julia 755: The Aqua Virgo 2504: The Alsietina 592: The Cloudia and Anio Novus 4882. Of all these Pipes there were only 10350 which convey'd Water for the City, the rest were for the benefit of the Countrey.

There are also other Aquaeducts made at Rome since Frontinus's Time. Pope Pius IV. built one in the Year 1563. which brought Water at eight miles distance from Rome, be∣tween Tivoli and Praeneste; 'tis thought to be the ancient Alsietina. Sixtus Quintus built an A∣quaeduct of the Aqua Felix, in the year of Grace 1581, as may appear by an Inscription engraven upon an Arch, near the Gate of St. Laurence,

Sixtus V. Pont. Max.
Ductum Aquae Felicis
Rivo pass. subterraneo Mil. XIII.
Substructione arcuata VII.
Suo Sumptu extruxit
Anno Domini M. D. LXXXI.
Pontificatus I.

Let us now see how the Partition and Di∣stribution of these Waters was made into the several Quarters and private Houses.

There were in all Parts of the City Conser∣vatories or Water houses, which were called Dividicula or Castella, into which the Waters emptied themselves, and from which they were convey'd on both sides by Pipes. Agrip∣pa alone, during his Edileship, made an hun∣dred and thirty of these Water-houses, ador∣ned with Statues and Pillars of Marble.

There were Over-seers appointed, to whom the Care of them was committed, who were called Castellani, who distributed the Water by divers Conduits into several places of the City, and even to private Houses, and hindred any private Person from misapplying the Water to his own Use without Leave first had; which was granted upon conditon of a certain Duty to be paid, which was more or less according to the Quantity of Water any one had a mind to have. Marlianus informs us, That Agrippa was the first who invented this Partition of the Wa∣ters by Inches and Ounces, as well for the Use of the Publick as of Private Persons. The Reve∣nue of these Waters, according to the Com∣putation of Vigenere, amounted yearly to six millions two hundred and fifty thousand Crowns. The Water which was not good to drink, as that of Teverone, emitted it self into Lakes, and serv'd the Beasts to drink, and to wash withal; it was us'd also for Baths, for dying, and tanning of Hides, for milling of Cloth, and for representing the Naumachiae or Naval Fights in the Campus Martius. And after they had serv'd for these several uses, they were all gather'd together in the Cloacae, or common Gutters, and from thence emptied themselves into the Tiber.

Nero, after the Burning of Rome, says Taci∣tus, hinder'd private Persons from applying the publick Water to their own use, as they had been accustomed to do, made Conserva∣tories, which might serve for quenching Fires, and appointed some Persons to look after them. The Censors, and after them the Aediles Curuli, took care of the Aquaeducts and the Waters of Rome. But under the Emperours Overseers were appointed, who had under them many subordinate Officers, who distributed them for use of the Publick and Private Persons, upon payment of a certain Duty, and enjoy'd the Benefit of it, not as a Property, but only for Life.