Comparing the Comparing the Infrastructures of Ancient Infrastructures of Ancient Rome and Present-Day Rome and Present-Day

AmericaAmerica

By Sofia Diaco, Ryan Jamison, and Jurien Garrison

What Is an What Is an Infrastructure?Infrastructure?

An infrastructure An infrastructure is the basic is the basic setup of a city.setup of a city.

GovernmentGovernmentRoman Republic:Roman Republic: Included 2 consuls, a Senate, and a Included 2 consuls, a Senate, and a

tribal assembly.tribal assembly. Consuls elected by the Senate, and Consuls elected by the Senate, and

they serve as a check to power.they serve as a check to power.– Serve 1 term, command army, Serve 1 term, command army,

supervise government.supervise government. The Senate represents the wealthy The Senate represents the wealthy

upper class.upper class.– Senate included 300 members, Senate included 300 members,

and they serve for life.and they serve for life. The Tribal Assembly represents the The Tribal Assembly represents the

poor lower class.poor lower class.

United States:United States: Includes 1 president, a Senate, and a Includes 1 president, a Senate, and a

House of Representatives.House of Representatives. President elected by the people.President elected by the people.

– Serves 1 four-year term, and can Serves 1 four-year term, and can choose to serve another term if they choose to serve another term if they get re-elected.get re-elected.

Includes 3 branches.Includes 3 branches.

– Executive, Judicial, Legislative.Executive, Judicial, Legislative.

– Serve as a check to power.Serve as a check to power. Members of the Senate serve 6-year terms.Members of the Senate serve 6-year terms. Members of the House of Representatives Members of the House of Representatives

serve 2-year terms.serve 2-year terms.

As you can see, both Senate houses have similar setups.

RoadsRoadsRome:Rome: Romans built roads to Romans built roads to

enable transportation enable transportation around the empire.around the empire.

"The Greeks are famous "The Greeks are famous for their cities and in this for their cities and in this they aimed at beauty. The they aimed at beauty. The Romans excelled in those Romans excelled in those things which the Greeks things which the Greeks took little interest in such took little interest in such as the building of roads, as the building of roads, aqueducts and sewers." -aqueducts and sewers." -Strabo, a Greek Strabo, a Greek geographer.geographer.

United States:United States: The US has roads going The US has roads going

pretty much everywhere, pretty much everywhere, enabling transportation all enabling transportation all around the country.around the country.

The United States, as you can clearly see, has many more roads than Ancient

Rome.

Maintaining the RoadsMaintaining the Roads

The problem with building roads is the The problem with building roads is the cost to upkeep them. In Ancient cost to upkeep them. In Ancient Rome, the initial cost of the road was Rome, the initial cost of the road was paid for by the government, and then paid for by the government, and then the cost to maintain them was paid the cost to maintain them was paid for by the local government. In the for by the local government. In the US, the government pays for the US, the government pays for the roads with money from taxes. roads with money from taxes.

AqueductsAqueducts

Rome:Rome: The Romans built The Romans built

aqueducts, usually aqueducts, usually underground, so underground, so they could channel they could channel water into their water into their city.city.

United States:United States: The US has The US has

aqueducts as well, aqueducts as well, and they are used and they are used for the same for the same purposes.purposes.

On the left is a picture of an aqueduct

in Rome, and on the right is a

picture of an aqueduct in the United

States

Sanitation SystemsSanitation Systems

Ancient RomeAncient Rome Pipes made on a Pipes made on a

potter’s wheel were potter’s wheel were used to bring fresh used to bring fresh water into the city, water into the city, and waste out of it.and waste out of it.

United StatesUnited States Groundwater or Groundwater or

surface water is used surface water is used for drinking, and for drinking, and sewers and septic sewers and septic tanks are used for tanks are used for storing waste.storing waste.

Sewers back in Ancient Rome were similar to those of the United States. Now, they are just more advanced.

ArchesArchesAncient RomeAncient Rome Used bricks that were Used bricks that were

fired in a kiln.fired in a kiln. Marvelous buildings Marvelous buildings

that still stand today that still stand today were constructed.were constructed.

Example: ColiseumExample: Coliseum

United StatesUnited States Uses bricks and Uses bricks and

various other types of various other types of materials.materials.

Example: The Example: The Gateway Arch in St. Gateway Arch in St. Louis.Louis.Arches are a

construction design that are useful. The

weight of the structure can be held without creating a giant wall, and less materials are

needed to build it.

ConclusionConclusion

Without Ancient Roman advances, the Without Ancient Roman advances, the United States would not be where it United States would not be where it is today. We would have no way to is today. We would have no way to get around the country, no way to get around the country, no way to get water, no way to remove waste, get water, no way to remove waste, and our architecture would not be as and our architecture would not be as beautiful as it is today. The United beautiful as it is today. The United States States isis following Rome’s footsteps, following Rome’s footsteps, and we need to make sure it does and we need to make sure it does not lead to the fall of our country.not lead to the fall of our country.

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