The aqueduct of Hadrian and the water supply of Roman Athens / Shawna Leigh.

Format:

Book

Manuscript

Microformat

Thesis/Dissertation

Author/Creator:

Leigh, Shawna.

Contributor:

White, Donald, advisor.

University of Pennsylvania.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Penn dissertations--Art and Archaeology of the Mediterranean World.

Art and Archaeology of the Mediterranean World--Penn dissertations.

Local Subjects:

Penn dissertations--Art and Archaeology of the Mediterranean World.

Art and Archaeology of the Mediterranean World--Penn dissertations.

Physical Description:

xxii, 365 pages : illustrations ; 29 cm

Production:

1998.

Summary:

The purpose of this study is to gather the evidence for the location and extent of the second century C.E. aqueduct in Athens. In addition to recording the available architectural and topographical information, I also consider the technological realities suggested by that evidence, and attempt to place the water system within its political, economic and cultural settings. The introductory chapter consists of a review of previous works on Athenian water, and an overview of the evidence for Athenian water supply between the Sullan sack of the city and the construction of Hadrian's aqueduct. Chapter two discusses how the geology, topography and environmental conditions of Attica affected the planning of the aqueduct's route, and presents the evidence for that route. The third chapter considers additional factors that may have influenced the location of the water course, and outlines other Roman hydraulics known in Attica, and elsewhere in the Achaian province. Chapter four is dedicated to the aqueduct's main dividing basin. Chapter five assembles the evidence from rescue excavations and early travelers' references to the various supply lines within the city, and chapter six contains the evidence from the Athenian Agora. A major aspect of this study is a series of computerized maps which make the remains of the aqueduct readily apparent in relation to the modern street plan of Athens. To conclude I discuss several related topics, including evidence for two officials who oversaw some use of water in Roman Athens, and why I do not believe that the aqueduct was built to serve a new Hadrianic quarter southeast of the ancient city. Finally, I suggest that, while the evidence for water supply from Roman Athens and Attica is not complete by any means, the study of how such a practical aspect of Roman engineering was implemented in Greece can illuminate the progression of technology in both cultures.

Notes:

Supervisor: Donald White.

Thesis (Ph.D. in Art and Archaeology of the Mediterranean World) -- University of Pennsylvania, 1998.

Includes bibliographical references.

Local Notes:

University Microfilms order no.: 99-13489.

OCLC:

187478029