Water-Worshipers of Nemausus

The aqueducts were enduring examples of Roman engineering and hydraulics. More than 8,000 km of these wondrous water channels snaked across the Empire to satisfy the Romans' insatiable demand for water. In Gallic Nemausus (today's Nîmes), the water supply failed to meet the daily quota that Romanization called for. The Eure Spring, 50 km northward, was an abundant water source. But to construct a water channel required a 258-m aqueduct to bridge the canyon over Gardon Fault. The Herculean task of constructing the Pont du Gard aqueduct, in 19 B.C., fell to the genius of Marcus Agrippa (son-in-law of Emperor Augustus). Upon completion, none equaled the engineering masterpiece of Pont du Gard, which delivered a lavish lifestyle of aquatic opulence to Nemausus. Yet the story played out like a classic Roman tragedy. Greed exceeded need, and corruption sealed the fate of a society that Pont du Gard was engineered to serve. Today, the great water bridge of Marcus Agrippa stands silent and abandoned.