SANITARY PLUMBING 499 



built no less than 20 aqueducts, with a total length of 400 

 miles, to supply the city of Rome with water. It has been 

 estimated that while Rome's population was about 1,000,000, 

 still the city was supplied with sufficient water from these 

 aqueducts, and from other sources, to permit the use of from 

 30 to 100 gal. a day by each inhabitant. To dispose of this 

 large amount of water after it had been used, immense sewers 

 were constructed, many of which are still in use. 



Rome developed the most extensive and luxurious system 

 of public baths the world has ever known. The public baths 

 of Diocletian alone accommodated 3200 bathers at a time; 

 the baths of Caracalla, still more famous and luxurious, accom- 

 modated 1600 at once. These baths were not free, the usual 

 fee being one quadran, the smallest of Roman coins, about the 

 equivalent of one-fourth of a cent in our money. The bath 

 was not taken by the Roman merely for the sake of health or 

 cleanliness ; it was regarded as a luxury and was often repeated 

 many times each day. The bath was always taken by the 

 Romans after exercising and before the principal meal, and it 

 has been said that it was frequently taken also after the meal 

 in order to stimulate an appetite whereby they might eat in 

 a more gluttonous manner. Emperor Nero, who reigned 

 during the 1st century, is said to have indulged in this prac- 

 tice. Historians often declare that the downfall of Rome was 

 partly due to these indulgences which tended to weaken the 

 physical strength and vitality of the people. 



Rome was repeatedly invaded and plundered by the fierce 

 barbarians from the north and east for two centuries till the 

 empire finally came to an end in 476 A. D. During this period 

 nearly all the works of art, the bronzes, precious marbles, and 

 nearly every other evidence of civilization which had been 

 accumulated during centuries were destroyed. The famous 

 aqueducts and baths were largely destroyed along with the 

 rest. 



587. Hot Water Systems of the 18th Century. After the 

 destruction of Rome, many centuries passed before man again 



