Hydrological Resources: A Determinant of City Planning in Ancient Greece

Today, in North-America, we seem to take for granted the complex infrastructure needed to guarantee humanity’s access to fresh water. However, this is not the case in most areas of the world and was not the case, either, in Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic Greece when fresh water supply and waste water evacuation both played a crucial part in city organization and urbanization. The Peisistratid aqueduct of Athens, the tunnel at Samos, the fountain house at Megara, all had a similar purpose:  guarantee social, political and economic supremacy by supplying, in abundance, fresh water, crucial element, needed to achieve a truly organized urban lifestyle.

I therefore propose a broad look at the basic concepts relating to hydro-geology, climate, and water cycles in ancient Greece. These concepts are critical when conducting such an investigation supplying the researcher with valuable data on the interaction between the hydraulic systems and the various sub-systems on any given site.  In order to help put into perspective the numerous concepts brought forth, from this will ensue a more in-depth description and analysis of water networks, as well as water usage as per varying spheres and a cause-and-effect glance at water related problems at various sites in Magna Graecia, Mainland Greece, as well as in Asia Minor.