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Apollinaris wrote “But the drawback is that, with water all about us, we could
not quench our thirst; there was neither intact aqueduct nor filterable cis-
tern, nor gushing spring, nor unclouded well”.53 Whether this was the situa-
tion earlier in the century, or whether it was a result of the semi-abandonment
of the city after 450, we have no way of knowing. Theoderic’s restoration of
this aqueduct was seen as a major feat. The Anonymus Valesianus says that
“He [Theoderic] restored the aqueduct of Ravenna, which the ruler Trajan had
built, and after much time he introduced water”.54 Cassiodorus in his Chronica,
says “In this consulship lord King Theoderic brought water to Ravenna,
whose aqueduct he fittingly restored, which had been out of use for a long
time before”.55 The reconstruction of the aqueduct was confirmed in 1938 by
the discovery in Ravenna of lead fistulae, or water pipes, with the inscription
D[ominus] N[oster] Rex Theodericus civitati reddidit.56 Moreover, in the Variae,
Theoderic declares to the landowners around Ravenna that he has a particular
concern for aqueducts, and charges them to clean out all the bushes and sap-
lings that had grown in the channel.57
Other cities also had functioning water systems. One letter in the Variae spe-
cifically comments on the restoration of the aqueducts at an unknown city.
Parma, which apparently did not have an ancient aqueduct, had one built by
Theoderic.58 Letters also remark on the maintenance of Rome’s aqueducts,
which even had an official with the title comes formarum.59 In the formula of
appointment of this official, Rome’s aqueduct system is said to be a marvel,
surpassing natural marvels such as the river Nile.60 Procopius mentions that
53 Sidonius Apollinaris, Epist. 1.5.6: “nisi quod, cum sese hinc salsum portis pelagus imping-
eret, hinc cloacali pulte fossarum discursu lyntrium ventilata ipse lentati languidus lap-
sus umoris nauticis cuspidibus foraminato fundi glutino sordidaretur, in medio undarum
sitiebamus, quia nusquam vel aquaeductuum liquor integer vel cisterna defaecabilis vel
fons inriguus vel puteus inlimis.”
54 Anonymus Valesianus 71 (cited in n. 28).
55 Cassiodorus, Chronica, a. 502.
56 Prati/Antoniazzi, Flumen aquaeductus, p. 27 and especially pp. 46–50; Johnson, “Toward a
History”, p. 78.
57 Variae 5.38.
58 Variae 4.31 (unknown) and 8.30 (Parma).
59 Variae 3.31 and 7.6.
60 Variae 7.6.