Cura aquarum and curator aquarum – the Head of Rome’s Water Supply Administration

Abstract

It is obvious the importance of water supply to any human community. At the end of the 1^st century A.D. Rome developed an impressive water infrastructure consisting of nine aqueducts. This huge network of pipes that distributed water on almost the whole surface of the ancient city could not function without rigorous maintenance. This work fell under the responsibility of the aquarii, a team that formed the familia aquaria, a component part of cura aquarum, an office led by the curator aquarum. The description of the structure of the cura aquarum and of the tasks of the team that represented it, as well as the activity of curator aquarum, are the subjects of this paper.