In the town of Misenum, a former slave turned rich merchant named Ampliatus has a large mansion. The men evacuate the spring, but the local water pressure is so low that it cannot be used. Attilius ignores Corax's scathing comments and locates an underground spring. Attilius is aware that the most senior member of the crew, Corax, dislikes him. The August aqueduct provides water to many of the neighboring towns, including Pompeii, Misenum, and others. He is dispatched south from Rome to the Bay of Naples to replace the former engineer Exomnius, who has disappeared in mysterious circumstances.Īt the beginning of the novel, Attilius leads a team of disgruntled engineers on a pre-dawn investigation into the source of a potential leak in the local aqueduct. Attilius is a widower who lost his wife in childbirth. Marcus Attilius Primus is a young aqueduct engineer, also known as an “aquarius.” His father and his grandfather were both engineers they were famous for working on Rome's massive aqueduct structures.
This study guide uses an eBook version of the 2003 Ballantine Books edition.
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