2. Why did Pompeii & Herculaneum need
water?
• Water for use
– Private houses
– Industry
• Water for show
– Symbol of wealth
– Decorative water features
• Public Use
– Street Fountains
– Baths
House of the Wounded Bear
Street fountain in Pompeii
3. Water Supply
• Where did Pompeii and Herculaneum get their
water?
• What is the evidence?
4. Early days
• Water for Pompeii from
– Sarno River Vogel, Marker, & Seiler’s 2011
reconstruction of landscape
Roman Bucket. Wroxeter. Shrewsbury
Museums Service
5. Early days
• Water for Pompeii from
– Sarno River
– Wells
Lorenz & Wolfram 2014
6. Early days
• Water for Pompeii from
– Sarno River
– Wells
– Cisterns
– Collection of rainwater –
Compluvium and
Impluvium
Compluvium – House of the Vettii
Impluvium – House of the Vettii
7. Early days
• Water for Pompeii from
– Sarno River
– Wells
– Cisterns
Cistern opening. Casa della Colonna
Etrusca.
Cistern and cellars. House of Stephanus.
Jones & Robinson 2005.
8. 1st Century Pompeii : Running water?
• What is the evidence?
• What would you look for?
9. Running water
• What is the evidence?
– Aqueduct
– Roofed water reservoir
– Water towers
– Pipes
– Water fountains
– Drains
Diagram of the gravity fed water system
10. Aqueduct
• Branch of Aqua Augusta aqueduct served Pompeii
• carried water from springs in the hills
• probably took a decade to plan and build at a cost of 140-
450 million sesterces (equal to 1-2 years of non-military
state expenditure)
• Aqueduct near the Herculaneum Gate in NW of city
• Similar system existed in Herculaneum – but less is known
Inscription on an
underground tunnel
near Baiae (AD 10)
Access (to water) opened
by permission and under
the supervision (?) of
Decimus Satrius
Ragonianus, curator
Aquae Augustae, on the
third day before the
Kalends of January, while
Junius Blaesius and
Servius Lentulus were
consuls
Keenan-Jones 2015
11. Castellum Aquae
• Primary Water Reservoirs
• Primary reservoirs on highest
point in the city - Why?
• Water divided into branches
Keenan-Jones 2015
13. Water system fed into water towers
• Topped with
elevated reservoir
• Reduced pressure
• Often associated
with a fountain
• Smaller pipes to
homes
14. Street fountains
• Most residents lived
close to a street
fountain
• Overflow used to flush
streets Keenan-Jones 2015
“Even those too poor to have their
houses connected to the city system
could enjoy the fresh water piped from
the mountains, for no fewer than forty
public fountains have been found to date
throughout the town. They tend to be
standard rectangular stone troughs, but
the details of the sculptured headstones
can vary considerably, particularly if
financed by private donations.” (Zanker,
1998)
15. Private Water Supplies
• Private houses paid a
water tax (Frontinus,
De aquaeductu 94)
• Brass tap in fixed sizes
regulated flow
(Frontinus, De
aquaeductu 39-45)
• Bisel’s study shows
lead poisoning was
not a problem
House of the little bronze bull
16. ‘As in Rome, the new water supply led to
increased luxury in the public baths. Here, and
in other instances of improvements paid for by
the Pompeiians themselves, the new aqueduct
led them to associate such benefits with the
Emperor. In the last analysis, or so it must have
seemed to them at the time, it was he who
was responsible for the fact that life was
getting better.’(Zanker, 1998)
17. Al fresco relief
• De La Court found a fuller’s urinal
jar in situ
• Warnings not to urinate/defecate
in wrong places:
– Anybody urinating here will incur
the wrath of Mars.
– Anyone who want to defecate in
this place is advised to move along.
If you act contrary to this warning
you will have to pay a penalty.
Children must pay X denarii. Slaves
will be beaten on their behinds.
19. Foricae
• Public:
– Usually multi-seaters
– Usually stone seats
– Suspended over a deep drain with
running water
– Small water channel in front of
seats
– Digest 22.1.17.5 refers to rental to
contractors
• Decoration
– Public: Marble, Mosaics, Statuary
– Warnings to beware ‘evil eye’
– No dedications – why?
• Ventilation
– Windows
– Smell
20. Latrinae
• Private:
– Kitchen or under stairs
– Upstairs
– Seats probably wooden
– Not suspended over drain
– Elevated, tiled surface
– “Appollinarius, doctor of the
Emperor Titus, crapped well
here.” (House of the Gem)
– “This is Martha’s triclinium:
in fact she shits in the
triclinium.“ (opposite the
latrine in the House of the
Centenary)
21. Chamberpots
Scapha – female urinals or jewellery boxes?
• emptied out windows - law of
Dejecti Effive Actio
• Martial's epigram (74.779) “While
I am summoned with a snap of
the fingers and the slave delays,
oh, how often has mattress
become my rival!”
We peed the bed, I confess! We
did wrong, dear landlord. If you
ask why: there was no
chamberpot!
22. Hygiene
• Sponge on Stick
– A Gladiator, preparing to enter battle, “withdrew in order
to relieve himself – the only thing he was allowed to do in
secret and without the presence of a guard. While so
engaged, he seized the stick of wood, tipped with a
sponge, which was used for the vilest purposes and stuffed
it, just as it was, down his throat; thus he blocked up his
windpipe and choked the breath from his body”
– Water Channel in front of toilets
• Hand washing
– “After easing his bladder, he called for water, and having
dipped his hands momentarily in the bowl, dried them on
one of the lads' hair.”
23. Disposal
• Industrial/agricultural uses
• Herculaneum
• rock: sewer network
• streetside drains for
rainwater
• Pompeii
– soft soil: cesspits next to
gardens; bones, pottery in
soil samples
– sewers at high water use
sites
– Streets used to drain
rainwater
24. Theory
• Division between Public and Private
– Public Nature of Private Latrines & Private Nature
of Public Latrines
– Social Function?
• Concept of Privacy
– Gender? Economic? Individual?
26. Industry
• Large amounts of water needed for industries
such as:
- wool trade – washing wool
- fullers – cleaning garments
- blacksmiths
- soap factory
- bakeries
