DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.44944#0046
12
ANIO VETUS
CIL vi. 1256; ix. 4051). Originally the water was taken from the river
Anio at the forty-second mile of the via Sublacensis ; but, as the water was
apt to be turbid, Trajan made use of the two uppermost of the three lakes
formed by Nero for the adornment of his villa at Subiaco—the Simbruina
stagna of Tac. Ann. xiv. 22 (NS 1883, 19 ; 1884, 425 ; Giovannoni, Monas-
teri di Subiaco i. 273 sqq.), thus lengthening the aqueduct to 58 miles
700 paces. The length of 62 miles given to the original aqueduct in the
inscription of Claudius on the Porta Maior (q.v.) must be an error for 52 ;
for an unsuccessful attempt to explain it otherwise see Mel. 1906, 311-318.
We have a record of repairs to it in an inscription of 381 a.d., but it is
uncertain what part of it is meant (CIL vi. 3865 = 31945). Its volume at
the intake was 4,738 quinariae, or 196,627 cubic metres in 24 hours. Its
course outside the city cannot be described here (see references below).
From its piscina (or filtering tank) near the seventh milestone of the
via Latina it was carried on the lofty arches of the aqua Claudia, in a
channel immediately superposed on the latter ; and it was the highest in
level of all the aqueducts that came into the city.
These arches ended behind the Horti Pallantiani (q.v.), the former
Vigna Belardi, where the terminal piscina of these two aqueducts was
situated (LF 24; cf. BC 1912, 163, 228-235 ; NS 1912, 195 ; 1913, 6-8).
Like the Claudia, the Anio Novus supplied the highest parts of the
city. Before the reforms introduced by Frontinus, it was freely used
to supply the deficiencies (largely due to dishonesty) of other aqueducts,
and, being turbid, rendered them impure. The removal of its defects,
however, is said to have rendered it equal to the Marcia (ib. ii. 93).
See LA 345-374 ; LR 54-56 ; Builder, xciv (1908, i.) 37, 64, 89, 111, 121,
142, 153, 174, 184, 203, 234 ; BC 1912, 163 ; RE i. 2212 sq. ; Reina Cor-
bellini Ducci, Livellazione degli Antichi Acquedotti Romani (from Memorie
della Soc. Ital. delle Scienze detta (dei xl) ser. 3, tom xx.), Rome, 1917.
Anio Vetus : * an aqueduct commenced in 272 b.c.,1 which took its
supply from the river Anio, at a point opposite Aficovaro, the ancient
Varia, 8 miles from Tibur (Plin. NH xxxvi. 121 ; Frontinus, de aquis
i. 4, 6, 7, 9, 13, 18, 21 ; ii. 66, 67, 80, 90-92, 125 ; Stat. Silv. i. 5. 25, which
may refer to the Anio Novus ; Auct. de vir. ill. 33. 9). The meaning of
the phrase in Frontinus i. 6, concipitur . . . supra Tibur vicesimo miliario
extra portam . . . R Ra . . . nam (so the MSS.), is therefore quite uncertain.
He gives it a length of 43,000 paces, for all of which (except 221) it ran
underground, no doubt for strategic reasons ; and it is sixth in order of
1 From a new fragment of the Fasti Consulares (NS 1925, 376-381) we learn that the
name of the colleague of M’. Curius Dentatus (who made the contract for the building of
the aqueduct) in the censorship of 272 b.c. was (...) Papirius Praetextatus (and not
L. Papirius Cursor, as he is wrongly called in Frontinus) and that he died during his
term of office. As the work was not finished post biennium, Curius and one Fulvius
Flaccus were appointed as duumviri to complete it. Within five days Curius died—no
doubt late in 270 or early in 269 b.c., for fresh censors were appointed in the latter year,
and the work was completed by Fulvius alone. Cf. also BC 1925, 250-252.
ANIO VETUS
CIL vi. 1256; ix. 4051). Originally the water was taken from the river
Anio at the forty-second mile of the via Sublacensis ; but, as the water was
apt to be turbid, Trajan made use of the two uppermost of the three lakes
formed by Nero for the adornment of his villa at Subiaco—the Simbruina
stagna of Tac. Ann. xiv. 22 (NS 1883, 19 ; 1884, 425 ; Giovannoni, Monas-
teri di Subiaco i. 273 sqq.), thus lengthening the aqueduct to 58 miles
700 paces. The length of 62 miles given to the original aqueduct in the
inscription of Claudius on the Porta Maior (q.v.) must be an error for 52 ;
for an unsuccessful attempt to explain it otherwise see Mel. 1906, 311-318.
We have a record of repairs to it in an inscription of 381 a.d., but it is
uncertain what part of it is meant (CIL vi. 3865 = 31945). Its volume at
the intake was 4,738 quinariae, or 196,627 cubic metres in 24 hours. Its
course outside the city cannot be described here (see references below).
From its piscina (or filtering tank) near the seventh milestone of the
via Latina it was carried on the lofty arches of the aqua Claudia, in a
channel immediately superposed on the latter ; and it was the highest in
level of all the aqueducts that came into the city.
These arches ended behind the Horti Pallantiani (q.v.), the former
Vigna Belardi, where the terminal piscina of these two aqueducts was
situated (LF 24; cf. BC 1912, 163, 228-235 ; NS 1912, 195 ; 1913, 6-8).
Like the Claudia, the Anio Novus supplied the highest parts of the
city. Before the reforms introduced by Frontinus, it was freely used
to supply the deficiencies (largely due to dishonesty) of other aqueducts,
and, being turbid, rendered them impure. The removal of its defects,
however, is said to have rendered it equal to the Marcia (ib. ii. 93).
See LA 345-374 ; LR 54-56 ; Builder, xciv (1908, i.) 37, 64, 89, 111, 121,
142, 153, 174, 184, 203, 234 ; BC 1912, 163 ; RE i. 2212 sq. ; Reina Cor-
bellini Ducci, Livellazione degli Antichi Acquedotti Romani (from Memorie
della Soc. Ital. delle Scienze detta (dei xl) ser. 3, tom xx.), Rome, 1917.
Anio Vetus : * an aqueduct commenced in 272 b.c.,1 which took its
supply from the river Anio, at a point opposite Aficovaro, the ancient
Varia, 8 miles from Tibur (Plin. NH xxxvi. 121 ; Frontinus, de aquis
i. 4, 6, 7, 9, 13, 18, 21 ; ii. 66, 67, 80, 90-92, 125 ; Stat. Silv. i. 5. 25, which
may refer to the Anio Novus ; Auct. de vir. ill. 33. 9). The meaning of
the phrase in Frontinus i. 6, concipitur . . . supra Tibur vicesimo miliario
extra portam . . . R Ra . . . nam (so the MSS.), is therefore quite uncertain.
He gives it a length of 43,000 paces, for all of which (except 221) it ran
underground, no doubt for strategic reasons ; and it is sixth in order of
1 From a new fragment of the Fasti Consulares (NS 1925, 376-381) we learn that the
name of the colleague of M’. Curius Dentatus (who made the contract for the building of
the aqueduct) in the censorship of 272 b.c. was (...) Papirius Praetextatus (and not
L. Papirius Cursor, as he is wrongly called in Frontinus) and that he died during his
term of office. As the work was not finished post biennium, Curius and one Fulvius
Flaccus were appointed as duumviri to complete it. Within five days Curius died—no
doubt late in 270 or early in 269 b.c., for fresh censors were appointed in the latter year,
and the work was completed by Fulvius alone. Cf. also BC 1925, 250-252.