Augustus and the Roman Water Supply: Aqueducts and the Curator Aquarum

How did Rome's first emperor transform the city's water system and use it to cement his power? In this episode of Augustus Caesar: The First Emperor of Rome, Lucas and Luna dive into the creation of the office of curator aquarum under Augustus, the appointment of Marcus Agrippa as the first water commissioner, and the massive expansion of Rome's aqueduct network. They discuss the Aqua Virgo, completed in 19 BCE, which supplied the Baths of Agrippa and still feeds the Trevi Fountain today. They explore the political savvy behind maintaining and expanding public fountains and baths as a form of bread and circuses with water. The episode also covers the Frontinus-era treatise De aquaeductu, which details the system's management, the hierarchy of water users (from imperial supply to private citizens), and the technical challenges of water distribution in a growing metropolis. Learn about the practical genius of Roman engineering and how Augustus used it to shape daily life in the Eternal City. #Augustus #RomanAqueducts #CuratorAquarum #MarcusAgrippa #AquaVirgo #Frontinus #DeAquaeductu #RomanEngineering #AncientRome #WaterSupply #PaxRomana #FirstEmperor #RomanInfrastructure #TreviFountain #BathsOfAgrippa #PublicWorks #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo