Gnaeus Servilius Geminus fleet overseeing coastal defense and battles against Sardinia, Corsica and the North African coast. In November, Geminus resumed command of Roman land forces and, having been elected proconsul in early 216, became involved in skirmishes with approaching Carthaginian forces under Hannibal from March until May, before he was killed while in command of the center of the Roman line during the Battle of Cannae on August 2, 216 BC. Gnaeus Servilius Geminus Gnaeus Servilius Geminus (died August 2, 216 BC) was a Roman consul, serving as both general and admiral of Roman forces, during the Second Punic War. The son
Sanitation in ancient Rome sanitation artifacts of the ancient world. Most sources believe it was built during the reign of the three Etruscan kings in the sixth century BC. This "greatest sewer" of Rome was originally built to drain the low-lying land around the Forum. It is not known how effective the sewers were, especially in removing excrement. From very early times the Romans, in imitation of the Etruscans, built underground channels to drain rainwater that might otherwise wash away precious topsoil, used ditches to drain swamps (such as the Pontine Marshes), and dug subterranean channels to drain marshy areas. Over time, the Romans