Roman
Civilization
CMS 206 /History
206
Roman Public Works
- How did Rome create, maintain and
expand its infrastructure (roads, bridges, aqueducts, postal
service) under the Empire.
- What is our evidence for this?
- Consider the following inscription, found
on the right bank of the Danube, engraved around 100 CE, tell us
about the activity of public works in the Empire?
- The Emperor Caesar Nerva Trajan Augustus
Germanicus, son of the deified Nerva, pontifex maximus,
holding the tribunician power for the fourth year, father of
his country, consul three times, built this road by cutting
through mountains and eliminating curves [CIL, v.III, no.
8,267].
- During the Republic, the censores
were charged with the adminsitration of public works (see, RCiv,
v.1, #36, p. 120-122; #149. [p.413-417, esp. 417).
- Additionally, individual Romans might build
a temple, basilica, etc. as a gift to the city [these was true
not only in Rome, but also of provincial cities]. Why would a
private citizen undertake such a task?
You can find pictures of some of the great Roman public works
projects, like the Cloaca
Maxima, the Bridge
of Tiberius in Rimini and the
Pont
du Gard in France.
Roma
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Lecture / Imber's
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