History of Rome, and of the Roman people, from its origin to the invasion of the barbarians . Emperors, Vespasian, did not hesitate to expend enormous sumsin constructing the gigantic edifice called by the Romans theColosseum. Even of the bad Emperors there were few who didnot undertake some edifice intended for public utility. What mod-ern capital has given to the masses buildings worthy of comparisonwith the theatre of Marcellus, the baths of Caracalla, the Colosseumof Vespasian, or those porticos where a man could walk in the openair, yet sheltered from sun and rain, for miles, with the mas
History of Rome, and of the Roman people, from its origin to the invasion of the barbarians . Emperors, Vespasian, did not hesitate to expend enormous sumsin constructing the gigantic edifice called by the Romans theColosseum. Even of the bad Emperors there were few who didnot undertake some edifice intended for public utility. What mod-ern capital has given to the masses buildings worthy of comparisonwith the theatre of Marcellus, the baths of Caracalla, the Colosseumof Vespasian, or those porticos where a man could walk in the openair, yet sheltered from sun and rain, for miles, with the master-pieces of Greek art before his eyes? If we except what has beendone within the last few years in London and Paris, what are ouraqueducts compared with those of the Romans for supplying waterto the urban populations? In the cotmtries of the South wateris an object of prime necessity, since the bath is indispensable 1 The Colosseum. The reverse of a large bronze of Titus representing in the centre theColosseum, on the left a pyramid, and on the right a part of the < folder) I louse,. THE FLAVIAN 294 THE EMPIRE AND ROMAN SOCIETY. for health. A gratuitous water-supply was, as we should say, avery democratic measure ; but the Romans knew how to makeit everywhere accessible. Rome is still, notwithstanding the de-struction of so many ofthe ancient aqueducts,the city best providedwith public fountains inthe In the pro-vincial cities the obtain-ing of a water-supplywas the first importantconcern of the curia. Wehave seen, in Plinys cor-respondence when gov-ernor of Bithynia, whatvast sums were spent onthese works. In mod-ern times Lyons, be-tween her two rivers,was long insufficientlysupplied with water;and the same was truein the case of the former city theRomans had been ableto raise water to 1110 si im-mit of Fourvieres, andin the latter to bringit by the Pont du Gardfrom the pure springsof the and Amphitheatres. — That th
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