Roman Aqueducts, Roads, and Canals

[Chulanlongkorn U Alumni]

I've been looking for these informations but could not find anything. Would you mind answering the questions below?

1. What was the total length of the Roman aqueducts? By total, I meant the length of the aqueducts from all parts of the Roman lands combined together. What percentage were above ground?

2. What was the total length of the Roman roads? What percentage were not paved?

3. What was the total length of the canals that existed in the Roman territories? How many of these were built by Non-Romans?

thank you very much for answering a rather though set of questions. Please provide sources (not Wikipedia)
BTW, I'm not talking about the Byzantine Empire. This means that you can discount any aqueducts, roads, and canals that were later built by them.

[conon394]

thank you very much for answering a rather though set of questions. Please provide sources (not Wikipedia)
BTW, I'm not talking about the Byzantine Empire. This means that you can discount any aqueducts, roads, and canals that were later built by them.

More or less impossible to answer. You could find some estimates I suppose for the Empire at nominal time point - but given your desire to eliminate Byzantine work I assume you want not include pre-existing Greek,Etruscan, Hellenistic and Persian efforts so have a lot to ignore.

[DAVIDE]

I've been looking for these informations but could not find anything. Would you mind answering the questions below?

1. What was the total length of the Roman aqueducts? By total, I meant the length of the aqueducts from all parts of the Roman lands combined together. What percentage were above ground?

Aqua Appia 16.5 km
Anio Vetus 63,5 km
Aqua Marcia 11 km
Aqua Tepula 18 km
Aqua Iulia 23 km
Aqua Virgo 20 km
Aqua Alsietina 33 km
Aqua Claudia 68 km
Anio Novus 87 km
Aqua Traiana 57 km
Aqua Alexandrina 22 km

16.5 +
63,5 +
11 +
18 +
23 +
20 +
33 +
68 +
87 +
57 +
22 =
----------

421 kilometers circa, meter less meter more

[Chulanlongkorn U Alumni]

Aqua Appia 16.5 km
Anio Vetus 63,5 km
Aqua Marcia 11 km
Aqua Tepula 18 km
Aqua Iulia 23 km
Aqua Virgo 20 km
Aqua Alsietina 33 km
Aqua Claudia 68 km
Anio Novus 87 km
Aqua Traiana 57 km
Aqua Alexandrina 22 km

16.5 +
63,5 +
11 +
18 +
23 +
20 +
33 +
68 +
87 +
57 +
22 =
----------

421 kilometers circa, meter less meter more

Only 421 kilometers? Well, thanks anyway. Are you sure that this was the complete total though?

More or less impossible to answer.

Not really.I have just checked wikipedia and it says that there were more than 400,000 km of roads, including over 80,500 km of paved roads. That means that 20% were paved roads. I know that I said "no wikipedia" but this information has not only one but 2 scholarly sources linked to it.

[conon394]

Not really.I have just checked wikipedia and it says that there were more than 400,000 km of roads, including over 80,500 km of paved roads. That means that 20% were paved roads. I know that I said "no wikipedia" but this information has not only one but 2 scholarly sources linked to it.

Yes but again what do you mean do what Roads used in the Roman empire built by various Greek, Hellenistic states (and Persia) or just what Roman built? The same goes for Aqueducts what are you including - what Roman built under Roman control or what Rome took over in the East as well. Again you can find estimates and percentages but be aware they certainly are typical 'at the height of Empire' and thus include all the Eastern Hellenistic infrastructure Rome inherited.

What percentage were above ground?

Tricky because Its not clear what you are asking only a small percentage of Aqueducts would typically be either tunnels or eye catching arched structures that tourists visit. Most would be plain open or closed structures at ground level. Also the inherited Hellenistic and Greek aqueducts would tend to be underground since they were developed not under the Peace of Empire but under the threat of multi-state warfare ans siege. Thus say Syracuse and Athens had quite extensive local aqueduct systems but most were under ground (although not deep tunnels or such) so as to be less vulnerable to disruption.

[DAVIDE]

Only 421 kilometers? Well, thanks anyway. Are you sure that this was the complete total though?

Yes because are confirmed by archaeology on the field.. Romans built 11 main acqueducts plus some secondary ramifications of few kms taking the final counting to 19. Btw more or less the total distance goes from 421 to few km more

[conon394]

Davide.cool - but I think he is looking for empire wide numbers not just 'the City'

A bit more on roads - Again you can find gross empire wides estimates but they are not what you (the OP) wants - since they very much include all roads in Imperial Rome and all those Rome took over.

For a detailed examination of the issue this article is useful as a case study:


Etruscan and Roman Roads in Southern Etruria J. B. Ward The Journal of Roman Studies, Vol. 47, No. 1/2 (1957)

[DAVIDE]

Davide.cool - but I think he is looking for empire wide numbers not just 'the City'

Arrrrgh a misunderstanding here.. i thought just the Roman town... btw sorry..
In Europe we have some others but of a lenght going from 85 (as in France for example) to 243m in Palestina... maybe final counting is like 1300 km and something

[Chulanlongkorn U Alumni]

Yes but again what do you mean do what Roads used in the Roman empire built by various Greek, Hellenistic states (and Persia) or just what Roman built? The same goes for Aqueducts what are you including - what Roman built under Roman control or what Rome took over in the East as well.

Okay then, guess you can include everything that was in the Roman territories - whether it was built by the Romans or not.

maybe final counting is like 1300 km and something

1300 km it is then

[Magister Militum Flavius Aetius]

Last time I checked all roman roads were paved - the others were pre-made by other cultures the romans didn't bother to pave

[DAVIDE]

1300 km it is then

Abroad we have Plovdiv, Burnum, Diocletianus, Pont Du Gard, Barbegal, the four aqueducts of Lyon, Gier, Nimes, Metz, Eiffel, Nicopolis, Moria, Hadrian's the one ending in Corinth, Pont D'ael, Caesarea Maritima, Zubaida, Tyre, Batroun, Jbeil, Skpje, Segovia, Merida, Almunecar, Las Medulas, Les Ferreres, Hadrian's in Tunisia, Valens, Aspendos, Doulacothi, Dorchester, Lanchester

[Magister Militum Flavius Aetius]

Actually Caesarea Mauretania was just called caesarea - there was another in palestine and one called Caesarea Cappadociae in Cappadocia. There's also an aqueduct in toledo

[DAVIDE]

Actually Caesarea Mauretania was just called caesarea - there was another in palestine and one called Caesarea Cappadociae in Cappadocia

Caesarea Maritima (Israel)

[SigniferOne]

Aqua Appia 16.5 km
Anio Vetus 63,5 km
Aqua Marcia 11 km
Aqua Tepula 18 km
Aqua Iulia 23 km
Aqua Virgo 20 km
Aqua Alsietina 33 km
Aqua Claudia 68 km
Anio Novus 87 km
Aqua Traiana 57 km
Aqua Alexandrina 22 km

16.5 +
63,5 +
11 +
18 +
23 +
20 +
33 +
68 +
87 +
57 +
22 =
----------

421 kilometers circa, meter less meter more

That was pretty funny, 421 kilometers just for Rome alone.

[Baron Thunder-ten-tronckh]

Chulanlongkorn U Alumni, it is my most humble opinion sir, but you seem to acting as if you are wishing to employ all us as your search-engine - pro bono, I might add - without so much as a peep as to what your end goal is. You ask for the amount of roads in Rome, and yet provide us with a figure provided by (ooh) 2 scholarly sources.

You are probably completely in your rights, and I'm in the wrong, but to me this threads premise comes across as arrogant and not about the historical discussion and debate that I consider the VV to be for; but more akin to some kind of historical sweatershop, the answers of which you seem to already know.