Cloaca Maxima

Cloaca Maxima
A map of central Rome during the time of the Roman Empire, showing the Cloaca Maxima in red
Cloaca Maxima is located in Rome
Cloaca Maxima
Cloaca Maxima
Shown within Augustan Rome
Map
Click on the map for a fullscreen view
Coordinates41°53′20″N 12°28′49″E / 41.88889°N 12.48028°E / 41.88889; 12.48028

The Cloaca Maxima (Latin: Cloāca Maxima [kɫɔˈaːka ˈmaksɪma], lit.'Greatest Sewer') or, less often, Maxima Cloaca, was one of the world's earliest sewage systems. Its name is related to that of Cloacina, a Roman goddess.[1] Built during either the Roman Kingdom or early Roman Republic, it was constructed in Ancient Rome in order to drain local marshes and remove waste from the city. It carried effluent to the River Tiber, which ran beside the city. The sewer started at the Forum Augustum and ended at the Ponte Rotto and Ponte Palatino. It began as an open air canal, but it developed into a much larger sewer over the course of time. Agrippa renovated and reconstructed much of the sewer. This would not be the only development in the sewers. By the first century CE all eleven Roman aqueducts were connected to the sewer. After the Roman Empire fell the sewer still was used. By the 19th century, it became a tourist attraction. Some parts of the sewer are still used today. Whilst still being used, it was highly valued as a sacred symbol of Roman culture, and Roman engineering.

  1. ^ Narducci, Pietro (1889). Sulla fognatura della città di Roma: descrizione tecnica (in Italian). Forzani. Archived from the original on 13 December 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2022.