| Floods of the Tiber in Ancient Rome Contributor(s): Aldrete, Gregory S. (Author) |
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ISBN: 0801884055 ISBN-13: 9780801884054 Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press OUR PRICE: $63.65 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: November 2006 Annotation: While the remains of its massive aqueducts serve as tangible reminders of Rome's efforts to control its supply of drinking water, there are scant physical reminders that other waters sometimes raged out of control. In fact, floods were simply a part of life in ancient Rome, where proximity to the Tiber left a substantial part of the city vulnerable to the river's occasional transgressions. Here, in the first book-length treatment of the impact of floods on an ancient city, Gregory S. Aldrete draws upon a diverse range of scientific and cultural data to develop a rich and detailed account of flooding in Rome throughout the classical period. Aldrete explores in detail the overflowing river's destructive effects, drawing from ancient and modern written records and literary accounts, analyses of the topography and hydrology of the Tiber drainage basin, visible evidence on surviving structures, and the known engineering methods devised to limit the reach of rising water. He discusses the strategies the Romans employed to alleviate or prevent flooding, their social and religious attitudes toward floods, and how the threat of inundation influenced the development of the city's physical and economic landscapes. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - History | Ancient - Rome - Nature | Natural Disasters |
| Dewey: 937.6 |
| LCCN: 2006004140 |
| Series: Ancient Society and History |
| Physical Information: 1" H x 6.15" W x 8.67" (1.23 lbs) 368 pages |
| Themes: - Chronological Period - Ancient (To 499 A.D.) - Cultural Region - Italy |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: While the remains of its massive aqueducts serve as tangible reminders of Rome's efforts to control its supply of drinking water, there are scant physical reminders that other waters sometimes raged out of control. In fact, floods were simply a part of life in ancient Rome, where proximity to the Tiber left a substantial part of the city vulnerable to the river's occasional transgressions. Here, in the first book-length treatment of the impact of floods on an ancient city, Gregory S. Aldrete draws upon a diverse range of scientific and cultural data to develop a rich and detailed account of flooding in Rome throughout the classical period. Aldrete explores in detail the overflowing river's destructive effects, drawing from ancient and modern written records and literary accounts, analyses of the topography and hydrology of the Tiber drainage basin, visible evidence on surviving structures, and the known engineering methods devised to limit the reach of rising water. He discusses the strategies the Romans employed to alleviate or prevent flooding, their social and religious attitudes toward floods, and how the threat of inundation influenced the development of the city's physical and economic landscapes. |
Contributor Bio(s): Aldrete, Gregory S.: - Gregory S. Aldrete is a professor of history and humanistic studies at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and author of Gestures and Acclamations in Ancient Rome, also published by Johns Hopkins. |