It's not unusual to read a headline about a water pipe bursting in a city, leaving thousands of people without water. In the 21st century, this situation represents an extreme hardship for people. Most people take for granted that fresh water comes out of the faucet every time they turn it on. It's hard to imagine a time when people didn't have running water in their homes. How did human civilization get to this point? Believe it or not, it was the Romans who started the world on a path that today has led to the installation of indoor plumbing in every home. Roman civilization thrived from around 750 BC to 500 AD Arguably one of the greatest civilizations of all time, the Roman Empire covered the entire European continent and beyond. The Romans made advances in nearly every aspect of life, including “art, architecture, and engineering, language and writing, philosophy, law, and citizenship” (Alavosus 15). Many people consider the Roman achievements in engineering to be the greatest legacies of the Roman Empire. Engineering flourished in this period because the Romans created tools and techniques that helped them become successful builders. They built thousands of miles of roads that included tunnels and bridges. Roman engineers developed tools for leveling, measuring, and aligning. More importantly, they created the concrete that allowed them to build enormous arches, vaults, and domes. With these engineering skills, they were able to build large-scale structures such as bridges and aqueducts. One of the legacies of Roman engineering is the aqueduct, which has been used throughout history to cater for the growth of civilizations by providing fresh drinking water and water for agriculture. Historians believe that primiti...... middle of paper ... ...has been the role of the aqueduct since Roman engineers developed it. “…aqueducts have allowed human civilization to grow and spread on a much larger scale than would have been possible without such technologies, and they are just as vital today as they were at the dawn of civilization” (Aqueducts 1). Aqueducts will continue to play an important role in transporting fresh water to modern cities for the foreseeable future. As technologies and materials advance, aqueducts will adapt to these changes. However, the concept of providing water to a city in need will not change. “Water acquisition and distribution systems are undoubtedly among the most important technologies man possesses. While water systems are generally ignored and taken for granted, they enable myriad other technologies and activities within human societies” (Aqueducts 1).