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TheAqua Appia was the firstRoman aqueduct[1]: 47 , and its construction was begun in 312 BC by thecensorAppius Claudius Caecus[2][3]: 148 [4]: 338-9 [5]: 23 , who also built the importantVia Appia. By the end of the 1st century BC it had fallen out of use as an aqueduct, and was used as a sewer instead[6]: 58 [7].
The springs feedingAqua Appia were discovered by Appius' co-censorGaius Plautius Venox, who received thecognomenVenox for the discovery[2][4]: 338-9 [5]: 23 . The aqueduct was named after Appius alone because Plautius resigned after serving 18 months as a censor[4]: 338-9 while Appius deceitfully kept his position until the aqueduct was completed[4]: 340-1 .
It's not certain how much waterAqua Appia fed to the city of Rome, but in the city records it is mentioned to have 841quinariae -- 34,901 m3 (9,220,000 US gal) per 24 hours[4]: 388-9 [5]: 25 . However, measurements taken in the 1st century AD resulted with pipes being in total of 1,825quinariae -- 73,000 m3 (19,000,000 US gal) per 24 hours[4]: 390-1 [1]: 273 . The water was fed to twenty local reservoirs from which it was further distributed to various districts of Rome[5]: 26 [1]: 293 .
In 2016, what is likely to be a 32 m (105 ft) section of theAqua Appia was excavated 17–18 m (56–59 ft) beneath Piazza Celimontana[6]: 51 [7]. Parts of the excavated section were relocated for reconstruction elsewhere[7].
The length of the original aqueduct was 11,190 paces -- 16.6 km (10.3 mi)[5]: 25 [4]: 340-1 , with most, 11,130 paces, underground[4]: 340-1 . A secondary branch added byAugustus in 33 BC was 6,380 paces -- 9.4 km (5.8 mi) long[4]: 340-1 . The original branch probably followedVia Collatina, a highway nearby[5]: 26 . The route of the later branch up toPorta Maggiore is not known[5]: 26 .
The original branch ofAqua Appia probably had as its source a group of springs in a stretch of marshland collecting water from the slopes ofAlban hills, situated inLucullus' estate 780 paces (1,150 m (3,770 ft) fromVia Praenestina[4]: 340-1 [5]: 25 .The secondary branch had its source near Via Praenestina as well, but the exact location of the source has not been identified[5]: 25 . From the junction of two branches the aqueduct ran through theCaelian Hill to the slopes of the eastern summit onAventine Hill before crossing through the greater Aventine on the northwest, ending nearPorta Trigemina at the bottom ofClivus Publicus[5]: 26 -- a place known asSalinae[4]: 340-1 .
It dropped only 10 metres (33 ft) over its entire length, making it a remarkable engineering achievement for its day.[citation needed]
The aqueduct served the privateBaths of Decius andBaths of Licinius Sura on the Aventine. The level of the channel was too low to be able to provide water to the hills.[citation needed]
TheAqua Appia was constructed during theSecond Samnite War[5]: 23 [4]: 339-40 . The main source of information about the aqueduct isFrontinus'De Aqueductu, written during the latter half of the 1st century AD[8]: 21 .
In the 4th century BC the Etruscans had built underground drainage channels,cuniculi, carved in soft tufa rock[1]: 45 . These constructions were especially common aroundVeii, Ardea, andVelletri, all near Rome[1]: 45 . Though there is no direct evidence, it is probable that thecuniculi influenced Roman aqueduct construction[1]: 47 .
Only the three fairly short stretches of the channel ofAqua Appia have been found this far[5]: 27 . A part of conduit found in ca. 1675 in the quarries under the Aventine Hill is cut in the tufa stone of the hill, and lined with rough-cut stone[5]: 34 . This part of the aqueduct differs from other Roman aqueducts for its first 103.6 m (340 ft): The corridor is 5.5 ft (1.7 m) in both height and width[5]: 27 . Another stretch of the aqueduct was discovered in 1867 slightly further west from the stretch found in ca. 1675; this part of the aqueduct too is cut in tufa stone, being the standard 6 ft (1.8 m) in height and 2 ft (0.61 m) in width[5]: 27 .The roof was ridged by the joining of two slabs ofcappellaccio to form a gable. This is a similar construction found in theAnio Vetus aqueduct which could be evidence of renovations made in 144 BC[citation needed].
As with most aqueducts, the conduit was big enough to allow maintenance crews to walk inside to clean out any debris or make any repairs. Also, it is most likely that there were shafts with footholes within the countryside giving access. Regular cleaning up of debris was necessary since[citation needed], as Frontinus' records indicate, there was no settling tank in the route of theAqua Appia[4]: 362-3 .
In 144 BCQuintus Marcius Rex restored the older aqueduct ofAqua Appia; however, it's not known how extensive the repairs were[5]: 24 .After Marcius' repairs the aqueduct received no attention for over a century[5]: 24 , but in 33 BC restoration works attributed toMarcus Vipsanius Agrippa took placeAqua Appia[5]: 24 . However, the aqueduct required repairs again in a few years, and renovations were made between 11 and 4 BC, managed this time byAugustus who also added a secondary branch known asAppia Augusta orRamus Augustae[5]: 24 .This secondary branch had its source near the route of the original conduit ofAqua Appia, but despite of this theRamus Augustae ran on an independent channel of 6,380 paces up toPorta Maggiore where it joinedAqua Appia[5]: 24 .
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41°53′22″N12°30′40″E / 41.88944°N 12.51111°E /41.88944; 12.51111
