Frontinus-Society
Caesarea, Israel
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About Us
Supplying people with water and transporting it via supply networks has always been critically important for the development of civilization. More than 4000 years ago, impressive structures for water supply and sanitation were built. Remains of these complex water supply systems still bear witness to the high level of ancient engineering today.
The use of water to create energy has also played an outstanding role since the beginning of civilization. Water power continues to play an important role in providing energy to the modern world.
It is therefore important that knowledge about the history of water and energy generation as well as about supply systems is preserved and further promoted. These are the tasks and goals of the Frontinus Society.
In the Frontinus Society archaeologists, historians, engineers, architects, members of other disciplines work together with people interested in the history of water, energy and piping technology. Through this interdisciplinary cooperation, the Frontinus Society possesses comprehensive competence in all relevant fields. The Frontinus Society has a broad international network of knowledge holders, experts and people interested in water history. Our members come from a total of 19 countries, from Australia to Canada.
Our society is named after Sextus Julius Frontinus , who was responsible for the water supply of Rome around 100 years AD, in his role as a Curator Aquarum. He wrote the first reference book on water supply.
The Frontinus Society is a non-profit organization. You can find the statutes of our association here .
The Frontinus Society
- deals with the history of water, energy,and pipeline technology,
- informs its members regularly about activities, publications and interesting facts in these fields,
- maintains the Frontinus Presence Library with more than 6,000 titles on the history of technology of the gas and water industry as well as sanitary engineering,
- promotes and accompanies research projects as well as the publication of research results,
- organizes international knowledge transfer and exchange of experience with conferences, seminars,and excursions,
- publishes reference books and publications,
- was founded in 1976 as a scientific association of archaeologists, historians, engineers and natural scientists.
The Frontinus Society is recognized as a non-profit association.
Who was Sextus Julius Frontinus?
Sextus Julius Frontinus (born about 30 AD) served as governor in Britain, Lower Germany,and as proconsul for the province of Asia (Hierapolis and Smyrna). In 97 AD he was appointed Curator Aquarumof the city of Rome and was mainly responsible for the city’s water supply. It is likely that he continued in this position until his death around 103 AD. Based onhis first-hand knowledge, he wrote adetailed description of Rome's water systems. This text has survived in full to the present, and describes the operation and maintenance of the city’s water systems, as well as the responsibilities and requirements for maintaining this complex network. It shows how intricatethe water supply in Rome was.