The arches of Old Croton Aqueduct (left), New York City's monumental first aqueduct recently reopened as a public walkway between Bronx and Manhattan, evoke the grandeur of ancient Rome's Aqua Claudia (right). Photo: Peter Aicher
Water and Power: Roman Aqueducts as Monuments and Models
GETTY VILLA
Auditorium
The aqueducts of ancient Rome were designed and built for practical purposes of supplying fresh water to a growing empire, yet they served also as powerful symbols of wealth and political power. In this illustrated presentation, classicist Peter Aicher takes a closer look at the aqueducts as public monuments and the influence of ancient engineering on designers of water resource systems in New York and California.
