The Briefing Room
General Category => Science, Technology and Knowledge => History => Topic started by: rangerrebew on January 02, 2019, 04:25:54 pm
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Astounding Vespasianus Titus Tunnel – An Ancient Roman Engineering Marvel
AncientPages.com | August 30, 2018
A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com - One of ancient Roman engineering marvels is located in Samandag. This astounding structure, known as Vespasianus Titus tunnel, is considered world's largest man-made tunnel.
The 1,380-meter-long tunnel was originally built (completely by man power) as a water channel in the 2nd century. Today the channel is dry, but still worth to admire the ancient skills of the Roman builders and engineers.
During the reign of Emperor Vespasian (69-79 AD), the Roman governors of Seleucia Pieria (Samandag), the port city for Antioch ad Orontes (Antakya), decided to divert a river. The ancient city of Seleucia, in Turkey's southern Hatay province, had at least two ports, but the harbors continued to be silted up.
http://www.ancientpages.com/2018/08/30/astounding-vespasianus-titus-tunnel-an-ancient-roman-engineering-marvel/ (http://www.ancientpages.com/2018/08/30/astounding-vespasianus-titus-tunnel-an-ancient-roman-engineering-marvel/)
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Maybe dug by hand but not largest man-made.
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(http://www.ancientpages.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/vespasianustunnel1.jpg)
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One of the greatest feats of Roman Engineering was
bringing fresh water into Rome thru aquifers and
removing waste from Man and animal on a daily basis.
As a result, Rome had more than 1,000,000 inhabitants by
the 2nd century; a feat not replicated until 1830 in London.
Wonder if this excitable jurno flunky ever heard of it.
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Engineering was one of Rome's greatest strong points. Their roads have factored in modern troop movements, their shipping made the City possible as well as their public works projects. We have only relatively recently understood the complexities of their entertainment industry as well...
But the lesson remains, that national security can't be farmed out, and decadence and decay in the leadership doom even the greatest of empires.
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Engineering was one of Rome's greatest strong points. Their roads have factored in modern troop movements, their shipping made the City possible as well as their public works projects. We have only relatively recently understood the complexities of their entertainment industry as well...
But the lesson remains, that national security can't be farmed out, and decadence and decay in the leadership doom even the greatest of empires.
Once the populace is divided among themselves, any interest in patriotism or a Nation State is lost and easy to conquer.