Forty years after Appia was brought in, in the four hundred and eighty-first year[1] from the founding of the City, Manius Curius Dentatus, who held the censorship with Lucius Papirius Cursor, contracted to have the waters of what is now called Old[2] Anio brought into the City, with the proceeds of the booty captured from Pyrrhus. This was in the second consulship of Spurius Carvilius and Lucius Papirius. Then two years later the question of completing the aqueduct was discussed in the Senate on the motion…of the praetor. At the close of the discussion, Curius, who had let the original contract, and Fulvius Flaccus were appointed by decree of the Senate as a board of two to bring in the water Within five days of the time he had been appointed, one of the two commissioners, Curius, died; thus the credit of achieving the work rested with Flaccus. The intake of Old Anio is above Tibur[3] at the twentieth milestone outside the…Gate, where it gives a part of its water to supply the Tiburtines. Owing to the exigence of elevation,[4] its conduit has a length of 43,000 paces. Of this, the channel runs underground for 42,779 paces, while there are above ground substructures for 221 paces.
One hundred and twentv-seven years later, that is in the six hundred and eighth year from the founding of the City,[5] in the consulship of Servius Sulpicius
- ↑ 273 B.C.
- ↑ Cf. 13.
- ↑ The modern Tivoli, about eighteen miles to the east of Rome. See map at end of book.
- ↑ All ancient aqueducts are constructed on the principle of flow, not of pressure. The fall was necessarily very gradual. Consequently, when the intake was at a considerable elevation, long detours became necessary in bringing the water to the City.
- ↑ 146 B. C., but Galba and Cotta were consuls in 144 B. C.
