Of all the marvelous feats in Roman architecture, few rival the societal contributions of the Cloaca Maxima and the system of Aqueducts. Sanitation in early Roman society was far from adequate. With the lack of any significant drainage system, human and animal waste alike covered the streets and flooding among low lying areas of the city was substantial . The issue of water was also prevalent. The city suffered from a lack of fresh water flow that not only led to an extreme shortage of drinkable water, but also to a stagnation of the city’s waste . Rome was in desperate need of a system that both provided water free from pollution for consumption and also supplied a constant flow to the various public baths, toilets, fountains, and private households. The Great Greek historian Dionysius of Halicarnassus stated in his collection “Roman Antiquities” that “The extraordinary greatness of the Roman Empire manifests itself above all in three things: the aqueducts, the paved roads, and the construction of the drains .” Dionysius’ statement certainly rang true. The commissioning of the roman aqueducts as well as the construction and expansion of the Cloaca Maxima were vital to the improved sanitation in Rome. To understand how important these two architectural feats were to the Roman people, it is necessary to first understand the state of Roman sanitation before major expansions to the aqueducts and sewage system. Most Romans relied heavily on limited local sources like springs and privately owned wells supplemented by groundwater . Some even depended solely on the collection of rain water drainage from rooftops that they collected into jars and cisterns . These methods were not only inefficient, but also dangerous. The groundwater within Rome was notorious for being unsafe, and water from the Tiber River even more so considering that nearly 100% of the city’s waste