Essay about The Romans, Water and Civilization - 994 Words

For centuries we have known water to be the most essential element of life. Water is unscented, nearly colorless and flavorless in its most true form. An element found within our own body, found in the food we eat and the beverages we drink. We use it to cleanse ourselves, our clothes, dishes and just about everything around us. All forms of life need it, and if they dont get enough of it, they die. Political disputes have centered on it. In some places, its treasured and incredibly difficult to get. In others, its incredibly easy to get and then squandered. Water became a commodity with the Roman Empire it was of course required for their existence, therefore, the Roman Empire had to come up with a way to control and†¦show more content†¦The usage of mortar helped prevent leaks throughout the aqueducts, but later Roman engineers switched to concrete instead of stone blocks making them more stable. As population grew in Rome so was the popularity of fountains and public baths, which required more aqueducts to allow for an adequate water supply. The aqueducts served 591 lacus (or major delivery points), and each, on average, delivered 60 cubic meters of water per day (Herschel, 1913). Bruun estimates that each delivery point served, on average, 900 individuals. This computes to a per capita water use of 67 liters per day. Like today the Romans used an underground water system and most of that water came from their aqueducts spread throughout the Roman Empire. According to the book Waterworks: About 10 percent of the total went to the emperor to be used in any way he wished and about 50 percent went to private customers who paid a tax for the water they received. The remaining 40 percent went to the military camps, public baths and lavatories, public fountains, and large basins open to the public. The large public basins provided the main supply of water for the city’s poor people, who came and filled their jugs and buckets at all hours of the day and night. Water had an influence on making the Roman engineers more daring through theShow MoreRelatedHow Did The Technology Of Roman Empire Impact It?1741 Words   |  7 Pagesand the Roman Empire started to gain strength. They broke treaties and conquered neighboring countries. They revised battle tactics, weapons, legions, but mostly technology to emerge as an undisputed leader of the Mediterranean. The Roman Empire was eager to find new ways, new technology, to help the empire grow beyond imaginable. Arches, military weapons, and basic technology were all created by the Empire. However, the question trying to be answered is, â€Å"How did the technology of Roman Empire impactRead MoreRome: Engineering an Empire812 Words   |  4 Pagesunrivalled power of technology to make the Roman Empire span across three continents and many centuries. 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