Gregory S. Aldrete ǀ Floods of the Tiber in Ancient Rome: The Eternal City Goes Under

Ancient Rome was perhaps the largest and most architecturally sophisticated western city until the Victorian era. But the impressive metropolis was frequently the victim of violent floods that left large sections of the city submerged for up to a week. This talk will survey the history and nature of these floods, explore ways the Romans attempted to prevent or alleviate flooding, and describe how ancient Rome was unusually well-suited to surviving the onslaught. Given the growing threat of natural disasters today, it’s a valuable look at how the largest city of the ancient world met this danger.

Gregory S. Aldrete is the Frankenthal Professor of History and Humanistic Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay. His publications include Floods of the Tiber in Ancient Rome, and he has created A History of the Ancient World: A Global Perspective, a 48-video lecture survey of world history, as well as Decisive Battles of World History, a 36-video lecture course.
Co-presented with the Archaeological Institute of America.