The pursuit of wealth has been a basic occupation of humans; as it turns out, wealth increases life expectancy. Analyzing global data, we show that money, probably connected with medical care, increase life expectancy. However, the base of real wealth is access to the Water–Energy–Food nexus, and the access to this also increases life expectancy. The first objective of this study was to compare the present values of wealth with antiquity, and we showed that about 1.4 billion people live in the present under the average lower wages of antiquity. As a case study, we analyze the construction of the Hadrianic aqueduct. We present a detailed description of the construction and the used methods, and we identify the total requirement of labor–time. Then, we investigate the wages of various occupations in the first century AD. The second objective of this study was the estimation of the total cost of daily wages for the construction of the project and the effect of the aqueduct on Athenians’ quality of life. Finally, we show that, today, about two billion people live with less available water than Athenians had with the Hadrianic aqueduct in the second century A.D.
Urban water, wastewater and stormwater management practices in ancient Hellas, from the Minoan to the Roman times are briefly reviewed. In the Prehistoric Hellas palaces and other settlements tended to be located at dry places, at a distance from rivers or lakes. During the Bronze Age decentralized water supply and wastewater and stormwater management of small-scale systems were dominant. These systems are characterized by their salient architectural and hydraulic features and perfect adaptation to the environment. On the other hand, under tyranny, cities grew significantly and the first large-scale urban water infrastructures were developed. During the periods of democracy the Hippodameian system of city planning included the public hydraulic works. This period is also characterized by significant scientific progress in the hygienic use of water in public baths and latrines. Finally, Romans used the scientific knowledge and the experience of small scale constructions of the Hellenes, to construct large scale hydraulic works using sophisticated techniques. Keywords: urban water supply; classical and Hellenistic periods; Minoan Crete; Mycenaean civilization; prehistoric Hellas ProlegomenaΌμοια γάρ ως επί το πολύ τα μέλλοντα τοις γεγονόσι. Most future facts are based on those in the past.Euripides, 480 -406 BC, Ancient Greek Tragic.In the long history of humankind the basic force that determined his action was the need to secure food and water. Most of the early settlements of the humankind were established in temperate areas near water sources that ensured sufficient water supply.. Most excavations of prehistoric human habitations had one thing in common; all were located near sources of a spring, river, lake or stream. During the Neolithic age (ca. 5700 -3200 BC), the first water projects (such as dams and irrigation systems) were developed in Mesopotamia and Egypt, in order to control the water flow, due to the food needs .However, the first hydraulic works for water supply and wastewater management were constructed during the Neolithic Age (a) in El Kowm (or Al Kawm), located near the city of Palmyra, in Syria, and (b) in the eastern Crete, Hellas. In these locations the first domestic infrastructures for water and wastewater were built. At the end of the 4th millennium BC to the beginning of the 3rd millennium BC the early Mesopotamian cities had networks of wastewater and stormwater drainage. Also wastewater disposal facilities, such as drainage networks, were available in the Late Urak Period (ca. 3300 -3200 BC) at Habuba Kabira. Minoan regions (e.g. Crete and other Hellenic islands) and Mohenjo-Daro (in modern day Pakistan in the Indus Valley) are early examples of settlements with water supply and sanitation. These hydraulic works were developed in an impressive way since the Bronze Age (ca. 3200 -1100 BC). Archaeological and historical evidences, revealed a cultural explosion
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.