Aqua Claudia ("the

Claudian Claudius Claudianus, known in English as Claudian (; c. 370 – c. 404 AD), was a Latin poet associated with the court of the Roman emperor Honorius at Mediolanum (Milan), and particularly with the general Stilicho. His work, written almost e ...

water") was an ancient

Roman aqueduct The Romans constructed aqueducts throughout their Republic and later Empire, to bring water from outside sources into cities and towns. Aqueduct water supplied public baths, latrines, fountains, and private households; it also supported min ...

that, like the Aqua Anio Novus, was begun by Emperor

Caligula Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (31 August 12 – 24 January 41), better known by his nickname Caligula (), was the third Roman emperor, ruling from 37 until his assassination in 41. He was the son of the popular Roman general Germani ...

(37–41 AD) in 38 AD and finished by Emperor

Claudius Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (; 1 August 10 BC – 13 October AD 54) was the fourth Roman emperor, ruling from AD 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Claudius was born to Drusus and Antonia Minor ...

(41–54 AD) in 52 AD. Together with Aqua Anio Novus, Aqua Anio Vetus and

Aqua Marcia The Aqua Marcia ( it, Acqua Marcia) is one of the longest of the eleven aqueducts that supplied the city of Rome. The aqueduct was built between 144–140 BC, during the Roman Republic. The still-functioning Acqua Felice from 1586 runs on long ...

, it is regarded as one of the "four great aqueducts of Rome".

Route

Its mainsprings, the Caeruleus and Curtius, were situated 300 paces to the left of the 38th milestone of the

Via Sublacensis The ''Via Sublacensis'' was a Roman road constructed to connect Nero's palace (the ''Villa Sublacensis'') in present-day Subiaco to Rome, splitting off from the Via Valeria near Varia (modern Vicovaro), about 10 km northeast of Tivoli. It ...

. The total length was approximately , most of which was underground. The flow was about in 24 hours (about ). Directly after its filtering tank, near the seventh mile of the

Via Latina The Via Latina (Latin for "Latin Road") was a Roman road of Italy, running southeast from Rome for about 200 kilometers. Route It led from the Porta Latina in the Aurelian walls of Rome to the pass of Mount Algidus; it was important in the ear ...

, it finally emerged onto arches, which increase in height as the ground falls toward the city, reaching over . Porta Maggiore 030106

It is one of the two ancient aqueducts that flowed through the Porta Maggiore, the other being the Aqua Anio Novus. It is described in some detail by

Frontinus Sextus Julius Frontinus (c. 40 – 103 AD) was a prominent Roman civil engineer, author, soldier and senator of the late 1st century AD. He was a successful general under Domitian, commanding forces in Roman Britain, and on the Rhine and Danube ...

in his work published in the later 1st century, '' De aquaeductu''.

Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68), was the fifth Roman emperor and final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 un ...

extended the aqueduct with the Arcus Neroniani to the Caelian hill and

Domitian Domitian (; la, Domitianus; 24 October 51 – 18 September 96) was a Roman emperor who reigned from 81 to 96. The son of Vespasian and the younger brother of Titus, his two predecessors on the throne, he was the last member of the Fl ...

further extended it to the

Palatine A palatine or palatinus (in Latin; plural ''palatini''; cf. derivative spellings below) is a high-level official attached to imperial or royal courts in Europe since Roman times.

, after which the Aqua Claudia could provide all 14 Roman districts with water. The section on the Caelian hill was called ''arcus Caelimontani''.

Repairs

The aqueduct went through at least two major repairs. Tacitus suggests that the aqueduct was in use by AD 47. An inscription from Vespasian suggests that Aqua Claudia was used for ten years, then failed and was out of use for nine years. The first repair was done by Emperor Vespasian in 71 AD; it was repaired again in 81 AD by Emperor Titus.

Alexander Severus Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexander (1 October 208 – 21/22 March 235) was a Roman emperor, who reigned from 222 until 235. He was the last emperor from the Severan dynasty. He succeeded his slain cousin Elagabalus in 222. Alexander himself wa ...

reinforced the arches of Nero (CIL VI.1259) where they are called ''arcus Caelimontani'', including the line of arches across the valley between the Caelian and the Palatine. The church of San Tommaso in Formis was later built into the side of the aqueduct.

Gallery

File:RomaAcquedottoTraCelioePalatino.JPG, The Arcus Nerioniani near the Caelian and the

Palatine Hill The Palatine Hill (; la, Collis Palatium or Mons Palatinus; it, Palatino ), which relative to the seven hills of Rome is the centremost, is one of the most ancient parts of the city and has been called "the first nucleus of the Roman Empire." ...

s. File:Aqua Claudia 04.jpg File:Aqua Claudia 05.jpg File:Aqua Claudia 13.jpg File:Aqua Claudia 18.jpg File:Aqueduct-aqua-claudia.jpg

Notes

External links

Interactive map with the full Aqua ClaudiaThe Aqua Claudia Webpage3D digital model of Rome featuring ''Aqua Claudia''
* {{Authority control Buildings and structures completed in the 1st century Claudia 50s establishments in the Roman Empire 1st-century establishments in Italy Claudius Caligula 52 establishments

Route

Repairs

Gallery

See also

Notes

External links