Traianus
Legato
Joined: May 12, 2003
Posts: 2361
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 Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2005 10:59 pm Post subject: The Cloaca Maxima |
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The most famous Roman drain is the Cloaca Maxima, whose original construction is attributed to Tarquinius Priscus. This was originally an open ditch to help drain the marshy site of the city, particularly in the Forum Romanorum area.
Although it was intended to carry off surplus water, it inevitably also carried sewage. In the later Republic, the Cloaca Maxima was enclosed in a subterranean channel; in part it is still in use today. As the crow flies, its length is over 900 meters, but its course meanders because of diversions around buildings. Its size is remarkable: in places it is 4.2 meters high and 3.2 meters wide, and Roman writers agree that it was large enough for a wagon load of hay to pass through. Agrippa is reported to have sailed in a boat through the undergraund world of Rome's drainage system on a tour of inspection.
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