Brooke Sturgis Ancient Roman Inventions

The Ancient Romans built many things that we use everyday. They created a basis of the

major inventions you see today. The road you drive on originated from the Greeks and how they

built dirt paths to move on. One of the biggest invention that led to many new ideas was the

aqueduct. This led to new ways of trade and transportation was made easier. One of the most

popular aqueducts was the Aqueduct of Segovia. It gives character and popularity to the region

and deserves attention. (1)

The aqueduct of Segovia was built later in the 1st century AD. It moved water from the

Frio River into the city until the 20th century. Now, it still remains there today and is currently

28.5 meters tall, and is adjusted to fit around the landscape in the region such as the mountains

and hills. The arches are made of stone brick molded together and alternate in height according

to the land in the area. The aqueduct was taken into reconstruction around the 15th or 16th

century. It remains as one of the most intact aqueducts in Rome today. (1)

Since it still remains today, it gives a sense of character to the city. It’s a key to the

history of the region and the Roman’s cultures. It is a representation of the expansion of the

Roman Empire and the engineering skills of their lifestyle. The aqueduct of Segovia isn’t the

only one that allows this however. There are many that still stand and give tourists another spot

on the map to stop at. It follows along with Roman traditions with the large arches and stone

accents. It wraps around like the colosseums that they built and used the same methods of

building. They line the roads and historic building along the city. (1)

Aqueducts are built with a combination of stone, brick, and a special cement that is used

as a glue for the bricks. They were originally built to carry water to areas of land that were dry
and needed ever use of water. Without this invention, it would have been impossible to have

good crops and fertile land. These waterways held the majority of water in the city and were also

used for the Ancient Roman baths. The first aqueduct ever made was in 312 BC called Aqua

Appia. It stretched almost 59 miles away and reached far down the city. The last aqueduct that

was built was the Aqua Alexandria in 226 AD. By the time of the Renaissance, aqueducts were

able to deliver 1 cubic meter of water per person in the city. (2)

Without aqueducts, the Roman would not have been able to build the big cities and

civilizations that they did. With aqueducts, it allowed them to have their own use of water for

drinking, baths, and plantations. If everyone used the same source of water in Rome, it would

become easy for the water to become polluted and contaminated. Aqueducts led to many ideas

such as pipes and a sewage system that also gave the cleanliness to their cities. The building of

these took many years and drawn out thoughts. Vitruvius wrote ten books on architecture and the

finding of water. He gave a lot of advice that can still be used today by many ecologists. (3)

These aqueducts were not always the easiest however. A lot of the times, there would be

steam coming out of the rivers and that would cause a problem that would make them not be able

to use it. They often got muddy and messy after big storms or the wells that were underground.

They could clean the water up by using it for irrigation and crops. The hardest waters to find

were the clean springs. This is because most of it laid underground. They needed a certain

technique that allowed them to find it and use it in their city. The water would sometimes bubble

up from the soil and showed them where to dig. Most of the times, however they would have to

dip deep to find a well. (3)

In conclusion, aqueducts were very crucial and essential for the Roman’s survival. The

aqueduct in Segovia still stands today even after thousands of years. The building of these led to
many techniques that are still used today. Without this invention, it would not have been possible

for most of the people’s survival.

1 https://www.wmf.org/project/aqueduct-segovia

2 http://www.unrv.com/culture/roman-aqueducts.php

3 http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/roman-aqueducts.html