The Roman Aqueducts: Engineering an Empire's Water Supply

The Story of Italy: Rome, Renaissance, and the Birth of Modern Europe — Fexingo History · May 31, 2026 · 7m · transcript

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the engineering marvels that supplied ancient Rome with water: the aqueducts. They discuss the first aqueduct, Aqua Appia, built in 312 BCE, and the later ones like Aqua Claudia and Anio Novus. Lucas explains how the system worked, from the spring sources in the hills to the distribution at the castellum aquae. He describes the challenges of maintaining a gravity-fed system over long distances, and the role of Frontinus, Rome's water commissioner. The conversation touches on the social and political implications: how the rich tapped into the supply…