About this video

• Video Title: Ancient sewer still in use!
• Channel: Ancient Rome Live
• Speakers: None identified
• Duration: 00:01:47

Overview

This video discusses the Cloaca Maxima, an ancient Roman sewer system. It highlights its historical significance, engineering, and enduring functionality, noting that parts of the underground drain still operate today.

Key takeaways

• The Cloaca Maxima, meaning "greatest drain," was a significant Roman engineering achievement.
• Its origins are traced back to the Regal period, initially serving to drain water from the hills surrounding the Roman Forum.
• By the time of Augustus, the sewer went underground, and this underground portion remains functional.
• The system stretches for about a mile and uses gravity to empty into the Tiber River.
• Agrippa modernized the Cloaca Maxima, which was reportedly large enough for inspection by boat.
• The sewer is constructed from local bedrock and volcanic stone.
• A challenge with the system was that Tiber River floods could cause water to flow backward into the sewer, occasionally flooding the Roman Forum.