Hidden Roman Marvel: Crete’s 11-Kilometer Aqueduct Still Supplies Heraklion

The Roman aqueducts of Crete stay blueprints of effective, robust engineering. Photo of the aqueduct of Gortys connected Crete, superior of the Roman Creta et Cyrenaica senatorial province. Credit: A.N. Angelakis

One of the longest past Roman aqueducts successful the Mediterranean is preserved successful fantabulous information successful Heraklion, the superior of the land of Crete successful Greece.

Constructed astir the 2nd period AD, this underground aqueduct drew h2o from the Fountana Fountain and ran done the country betwixt Skalani and Spilia, yet distributing h2o to Knossos connected the outskirts of Heraklion.

During the Egyptian concern connected Crete (1830–1840 AD), it was connected to the existing Morosini Aqueduct to boost the h2o proviso reaching the Morosini Fountain (also known arsenic the Lions Fountain) successful cardinal Heraklion.

According to a survey by Andreas N. Angelakis, Yannis Christodoulakos, and Vasileios A. Tzanakakis, it is among the largest underground Roman aqueducts connected Crete and successful the Mediterranean, with a magnitude of astir 11.3 kilometers (7 miles). While different Roman aqueducts whitethorn beryllium longer, this peculiar 1 is the astir good preserved.

As portion of this network, the aqueduct of Agia Irini was constructed successful the colony of Spilia, southbound of Knossos Palace. The strategy includes the spring, the above-ground conduit (carved successful stone oregon built from mixed materials), further aqueduct channels, and tunnels.

It remains 1 of the largest Roman underground aqueducts connected Crete, hidden beneath the earth, and it is singular that it has been preserved successful near-perfect information for its size. Measuring 1,130 meters (3,707 feet) long, it ranks among the largest aqueducts connected Crete and successful the wider Mediterranean, perchance adjacent arsenic the longest aqueduct passageway successful the region.

The Romans connected Crete

When the Romans established power implicit ancient Greece, they recognized the strategical value of Crete and conquered the island. Crete was subjugated by Quintus Caecilius Metellus Creticus astir 67 BC, pursuing his decision of the Cretan pirates and an earlier run by Mark Antony. The metropolis of Gortys, located connected the fertile Mesara plain, became the capital.

The Romans combined Crete with the territory of Cyrenaica connected the North African seashore to signifier the senatorial state of Creta et Cyrenaica. The land remained nether Roman regularisation for 4 centuries (67 BC–330 AD). During this period, Crete flourished, experiencing colonisation growth, prosperity, and greater connectivity with different parts of the Roman Empire.

In summation to Heraklion, cities specified arsenic Gortys, Hersonissos, Elyrus, Lyttos, and Kissamos thrived nether Roman administration. During this prosperous era, the Romans built respective awesome infrastructures connected Greece’s Crete, including hydraulic works and large Roman aqueducts to administer h2o crossed the island. They applied engineering techniques inspired by earlier Greek civilizations, including the Minoan, Classical, and Hellenistic periods.

Essentially, the Romans expanded the standard of technological applications to conscionable the h2o demands of a increasing population. Roman aqueducts were a peculiarly communal and applicable solution, reflecting the sophistication of their hydraulic engineering.

Knossos and Heraklion

During the Roman period, the economical relations betwixt Knossos and Heraklion were, according to researchers, seemingly strained. The h2o proviso of Heraklion apt depended connected that of Knossos.

At the time, Heraklion’s h2o proviso relied connected wells and reservoirs, arsenic successful earlier periods. However, the continuing colonisation maturation successful some settlements and their expanding h2o needs could not beryllium afloat met by the outpouring of Mavrokolympos, which had served Knossos since the Minoan Era.

The Fountana Aqueduct was astir apt constructed during the Roman play to transmission h2o from a outpouring located successful the Vathis River. It measured astir 11.3 kilometers (7 miles), originating from the outpouring of Fountana. Archaeological grounds indicates that the outpouring was initially utilized by the Romans.

The cardinal portion of the Fountana Aqueduct was rebuilt during the Egyptian play (approximately 1830–1840). Around 1839, the passageway successful Skalani was reconstructed with a cross-section of 1 × 2 quadrate meters and a magnitude of 11.5 kilometers (7.1 miles). This makes it 1 of the longest Roman aqueduct tunnels successful the Mediterranean region.

The outpouring is located 5 kilometers (3 miles) from Knossos astatine an altitude of 220 meters (721 feet), and the full proviso of high-quality h2o is inactive utilized contiguous to supply h2o to the metropolis of Heraklion. The celebrated h2o span successful Agia Irini, successful the Spilia country 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) from Heraklion, was besides constructed arsenic portion of this system.

Through this bridge, the Fountana Aqueduct was connected to the Morosini one, built during the Venetian play (around 1204–1669), to heighten Heraklion’s h2o supply. This strategy remains successful usage today, though the archetypal conduit has been replaced with PVC piping.

Roman aqueducts successful different parts of Crete, Greece

According to Angelakis, Christodoulakos, and Tzanakakis, aqueduct exertion successful the Mediterranean reached its highest during the Roman period. Hundreds of aqueducts were built arsenic the land of Crete enjoyed large economical prosperity, enabling extended operation projects. Compared to Minoan, Etruscan, and Hellenistic aqueducts, Roman aqueducts were much standardized and susceptible of transporting larger volumes of water.

The exertion of Roman aqueducts connected Crete, Greece, intimately followed designs developed successful the Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic periods but connected a larger scale, allowing for greater capableness and longer-distance transport.

During the Roman period, aqueducts were recovered successful respective cities crossed Crete, including Apollonia (Agia Pelagia), Hersonissos, Gortys, Elyros, Diktynna, Falasarna, the Fountana (Skalani tunnel), Ierapetra, Ini, Kasteliana, Lappa, Lassea, Syia, Lyttos, Minoa (Marathi), Pachyammos, Tarra (Agia Roumeli), and Tholos (Kavousi).

Roman aqueducts were usually constructed arsenic buried masonry canals with a rectangular interior illustration and a semicircular vault. Larger tunnels were precocious capable to let workers to walk through. Structures specified arsenic bridges (e.g., Gortys), inverted siphons (e.g., Lyttos), and tunnels (e.g., Fountana successful Skalani) correspond modular engineering applications successful these constructions. Roman aqueducts connected Crete typically drew h2o from a azygous root and delivered it to a azygous target, astir often the h2o proviso of municipality areas.

Aqueducts of enactment connected Greece’s land of Crete

Lyttos was a prosperous Roman metropolis contempt its challenging high-altitude location. It is known for an awesome Roman aqueduct measuring 22 kilometers (≈13.7 miles) successful length. The h2o root was located connected the westbound broadside of the Nissimos Plateau, a fewer kilometers southbound of the colony of Krasi, astatine an altitude of implicit 600 meters.

The aqueduct of Hersonissos, which brought h2o to the metropolis from upland villages to the south, is thought to person been 14 kilometers (≈8.7 miles) long. An underground reservoir has besides been found, measuring 58 meters successful length, 22 meters high, and 5.5 meters deep, indicating that Hersonissos had grown into a important municipality halfway during Roman times.

In the capital, grounds suggests that the metropolis was primitively established during the Minoan era. A large-scale aqueduct extending from the Zaros springs to the metropolis of Gortys provided a reliable h2o supply.

In past Syia (modern-day Sougia) connected the confederate seashore of the Selinon district, the Elyros larboard flourished. There, ruins of Roman buildings and aqueduct remains tin inactive beryllium observed. Archaeological grounds shows that parts of the aqueduct reached heights of up to 5 meters on the way to Sougia.

Researchers reason that the survey of aqueduct principles and hydraulic works from Minoan, Greek, and Roman civilizations demonstrates wide similarities with modern engineering practices. These past works are characterized by simplicity, operational robustness, and the lack of analyzable controls, highlighting however modern technologies descend straight from these aboriginal engineering achievements.