The secret under Ancient Rome: Cloaca Maxima

I'm going to tell you after the intro what's that, because if I tell you right now you wouldn't believe me. And it requires a careful explanation, but trust me, it's worth it if you really want to know Rome. Hi everyone and welcome back to Exploring Art, this is Alessandro. Today we can finally start to learn more about ancient Roman art. In the last video I gave you a general introduction about art in Rome, and now it's time to go deeper in the Roman architecture. There are a lot of monuments and works of art to talk about, and that's why I want to start with this masterpiece. And trust me when I say that if you want to know Rome, you need to know that. And there are no easy ways to say it, so it's a sewer. I'm not crazy, not completely at least. That's the Cloaca Maxima. Maxima means greatest, Cloaca means sewer. Maybe you are wondering right now if I got nuts talking about a sewer, but there are a couple of very important reasons why I picked it. This sewer represents perfectly how Romans were and the reasons of their success. Okay, I know, now there are a lot of easy jokes that can be inspired by my last sentence, but let me explain to you better. We know Romans for their pragmatism. In particular in the first centuries of their history, their approach was extremely practical and finalized to the most efficient result more than looked to the style. Because of that, they knew that to be successful against the enemy that surrounded them, they needed to build a safe and efficient city. That's why some of the first important constructions they built were the Serbian Wall and Cloaca Maxima. You can be protected from the enemies inside your walls, but if you live in an unhealthy environment you will find yourself fighting against a worst enemy, invisible and unbeatable. According to tradition, Cloaca Maxima may have been initially constructed around 600 BC under the orders of the king of Rome Tarquinius Priscus. It was built as an open-air canal and over time the Romans covered and expanded it into a sewer system for the city. Yes, but how did they cover it? They did it with a successful architectural element that made Romans famous, the arch. To be precise, they used a series of arches placed side by side to make a barrel vault. The vault allowed to build over the sewer as building space within the city became more valuable, and most of the space was really valuable since it drained from the center of town, below the ancient Forum, to the Tiber river. It was so important that the Cloaca Maxima was well maintained throughout the life of the Roman Empire thanks to a constant maintenance and also to a smart use of water supply. The 11 aqueducts which supplied water to Rome were finally channeled into the sewers after having supplied the many public baths, public fountains, imperial palaces, and private houses. That continuous supply of running water helped to remove wastes and keep the sewers clear of obstructions, and these sewers merged in the main trunk of the system, the Cloaca Maxima. Like that, all the waste and black waters were pushed outside the city under a long underground tunnel, keeping the city healthier and efficient. So efficient that even today, after 2,000 years, Cloaca Maxima is still working, draining rainwater and debris. Now some fun facts to understand how important was this construction for the Romans. In 33 BC it's known to have received an inspection and overhaul from Agrippa. A Roman consul, statesman, general, an architect, close friend, son-in-law, and lieutenant to Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus. One of the most powerful men of that time went to put his feet literally in the sh... He wanted to be sure that Cloaca Maxima was working perfectly. And Cloaca Maxima was so important to have also its own goddess, Cloacina, the cleanser. Now that we know how Rome was underground, we can start to explore the surface, that it couldn't be like we know it if it were not for this engineering masterpiece. So don't miss the next episode, I'm kind of scared to ask you to leave comments today, so just save them for the next time. Ciao!