Function of the cloaca maxima
By 97 A.D., the Cloaca Maxima was used as a sewer to transport Rome’s waste to the Tiber River (Hopkins 1). “The drain had a significant flow of water from the low-lying swamp lands and as such, provided also a convenient medium for transporting waste (Rajala 176).” The Romans understood that dirty water facilitated the spread of disease, and used the Cloaca Maxima as a tool to transport waste out of the city and into the TiberRiver (Rajala 176). Unfortunately, the Tiber River was still used by Romans for drinking water and bathing, which negated the benefits of transporting waste out of the city (Rajala 176). Since the original construction of the Cloaca Maxima, extensions and repairs have been made to the canal, linking it deeper into Rome (Hopkins 2). As the city grew, new canals were connected to the Cloaca Maxima to carry away storm water and waste (Hopkins 2). Even today, more than 2500 years after it was originally built, the Cloaca Maxima is still used to transport storm water away from the city and into the Tiber River.
The significance of the Cloaca Maxima
The land above the Cloaca Maxima eventually became the Roman Forum, the central public space in Rome(Claridge 64). The Roman Forum contained public markets, housing for the rulers of Rome, the Roman Senate House, various temples, and monuments (Claridge 64-65). Julius Caesar’s’ body was cremated in the Forum (McGregor 36). This valley held great significance in the history of Rome.
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The Roman Forum, Photos taken by Tracey L.R, 2008
The Roman Forum, Photos taken by Tracey L.R, 2008
Some buildings in the Roman Forum had direct openings to the Cloaca Maxima. One of these is the chapel S. Pietro. This chapel was once a prison called the Tullianum, which was built around 387 B.C. (Masson 29). During the Roman Empire, a drain located inside this prison was used to dispose of the dead bodies of prisoners directly into the Cloaca Maxima (Masson 29-30).
Primary Source: BBC, Exploring Rome's 'sacred sewers'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/0/20627618
In this video from the BBC, "Dr Mark Bradley, associate professor of ancient history at Nottingham University" explores the Cloaca Maxima and its' history. In ancient Rome, the Cloaca Maxima was seen as a purifying force that flushed waste out of the city. Occasionally, the Cloaca Maxima was used to flush the dead bodies of those who were deemed unsavory by the Romans out of Rome, symbolically ridding the city of their filth. Among the misfortunate disposed of in the Cloaca Maxima were prisoners, Christians, and the Roman Emperor Elagabalus (BBC).
secondary source: "saint sebastian thrown into the cloaca maxima"
Ludovico Carracci, Saint Sebastian Thrown into the Cloaca Maxima, 1612
Rome and its conquered territories were ruled from this important little plot of land that began as a marsh. The Cloaca Maxima was key in making this valley the center of Rome (Hopkins 1).