Engineering · Roman Empire Daily
Rome's great sewer, the Cloaca Maxima, was begun around the 6th century BC and parts still carry water today.
Deep dive
Originally an open channel to drain the marshy Forum valley, the Cloaca Maxima was later vaulted over. It emptied into the Tiber and remained in use for centuries; portions are still connected to Rome's modern drainage.
Source: Livy, 'History of Rome,' 1.38, 1.56; Pliny the Elder, 'Natural History,' 36.104–108.
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