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The largest and most magnificent Aqueducts of which we have any account, were the work of the Romans; and the ruins of several of them, both in Italy, and other countries of Europe, remain to the present time monuments of the power and industry of that enterprising people.

For 440 years from the foundation of Rome the inhabitants contented themselves with the waters of the Tiber, and of the wells and fountains in the city and its neighborhood. But at that period the number of houses and inhabitants had so augmented, that they were obliged to bring water from distant sources by means of Aqueducts. Appius commenced this scheme of improvement. About 39 years after him, M. Curius Dentatus, who was censor with Papirius Cursor, brought water from the neighborhood of the city of Tibur; and applied towards defraying the expense, part of the sums taken in the spoils of Pyrrhus. After them Lucius Papirius, Caius Servillius Cepion, Lucius Longinus Crassus, Quintus Marcius, (who brought water to Rome from a spring at the distance of nearly sixty miles,) Marcus Agrippa, Augustus, and others, signalized themselves by their noble Aqueducts. Even Tiberius, Claudius, Caligula, and Carracalla, though in other respects not of the best character, took care of the city in this useful article.

In the remains of these ancient Aqueducts, some are elevated above the ground upon a solid mass of stone work, or upon arches continued and raised one above the other; other portions are subterraneous, passing through deep excavations, and in many instances piercing through mountains of rock; such is that seen at Vicovaro beyond Tivoli, where a tunnel of about five feet deep and four broad, pierces a rock for a distance of more than a mile.

These Aqueducts were generally built of stone and covered by arches or large flat stones. At certain distances vents were provided to discharge the water from the channel-way; and cavities were formed, into which the water was precipitated, and where it remained till its mud was deposited, and ponds in which it might purify itself.

One of these Aqueducts was formed with two channels, one above the other: they were, however, constructed at different periods; the most elevated was supplied by the waters of the Tiverone, Anio novus, and the lower one by the Claudian water. It is represented by Pliny, as the most beautiful of all that had been built for the use of Rome. It was begun by Caligula, and finished by Claudius, who brought its waters from two springs called Cœruleus and Curtius. Vespian, Titus, Marcus-Aurelius, and Antonius Pius, repaired and extended it; it is now called Aqua Felice.

The Aqueduct that conveyed the Aqua Neroniana to Rome, was built of brick; this, as well as the former, was in some instances 70 Roman feet high.

The Aqueduct that brought the Aqua Marcia into the city was repaired by Agrippa, who laid pipes from it to several parts of the city.

The Aqua Marcia, Aqua Julia, Aqua Tepula, entered Rome in one and the same Aqueduct, divided into three ranges or stories; in the uppermost of which flowed the Aqua Julia, in the second the Aqua Tepula, and in the lowest the Aqua Marcia. This accounts for the extraordinary height of this Aqueduct, which far surpassed that of any other in Rome. From the ruins of this fabric, which are still seen, and are called “Il castel del Acqua Marcia,” it appears to have been a very superb structure.

The Aqueducts were under the care and direction, first of the censors and œdiles, and afterwards, of particular magistrates called “Curatores Aquarum,” instituted by Agrippa, to whom the Aqueducts of Rome were objects of particular attention. Messala was one of these curatores in the reign of Augustus, and Frontinus held the same office in that of Nerva. Augustus caused all of them to be repaired.

Procopius reckons only fourteen Aqueducts in ancient Rome; but Victor has enlarged the number to twenty.

Frontinus, a man of consular dignity, and who had the direction of the Aqueducts under the Emperor Nerva, mentions nine. From other accounts we are informed that nine great Aqueducts existed at Rome at the commencement of the reign of Nerva. Five others were constructed by that Emperor, under the superintendence of Julius Frontinus; and it appears that at a later period the number amounted to twenty.

Frontinus, who had the superintendence of the Roman Aqueducts under the Emperor Nerva, died A.D. 101. He gave an account of the Aqueducts, which has since been translated into French by Rondolet. The following table is made up of data from that work.

The table is arranged to show, First, the name of the water or Aqueduct; Second, the era of its construction; Third, the length of each Aqueduct in miles and decimals; Fourth, the cubic feet discharged in 24 hours, and Fifth, the gallons in wine measure.

NAME.	ERA.	LENGTH.	CUBIC FEET.	GALLONS.
1.Appian Aqueduct,	B.C.	312	10,3250	3,706,575	27,724,181
2. OldAnio	„	„	273	36,6775	8,932,338	66,813,887
3. Marcian	„	„	146	56,9417	9,525,390	71,249,917
4. Tepulan	„	„	127}	14,2341	{903,795	6,760,386
5. Julian	„	„	35}		{2,449,386	18,321,407
6. Virgin	„	„	22	14,3116	5,085,624	38,040,467
7. Alsietina	„	A.D.	14	20,4526	796,152	5,656,016
8. Claudian	„	„	49	42,1989	9,356,817	96,988,991
9. NewAnio	„	„	90	54,1644	9,622,878	71,979,127
				249,3058	50,378,955	376,834,379

Some auxiliary supplies or feeders make the total length of the Roman Aqueducts, at that period, exceed 255 miles.

The names of the Roman Aqueducts are taken from those of the River or Lake which supplies them, or from the emperors who caused them to be constructed. Frontinus gives the following as the origin of the name Virgin Aqueduct: “It is called the Virgin (Virgo), because it was a young girl who showed some veins to a few soldiers who were in search of spring water. Those who dug followed these veins and found a great quantity, and there is a painting in a little temple erected close by the source representing this event.”