this post was submitted on 02 Oct 2024
254 points (99.6% liked)

Illustrations of history

510 readers
3 users here now

This magazine is for sharing artwork of historical events, places, personages, etc. Scale models and the like also welcome!

founded 6 months ago
MODERATORS
 
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 months ago (2 children)

If you’ve ever used a siphon to drain a fish tank, it’s a similar concept. I believe the entrance is a bit higher than the exit, so I guess gravity and water pressure?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Not disagreeing with you there,, but if you've siphoned something you've probably done it with a polymer, how the heck were the Romans doing it? You can't get intestines sealed together tightly enough back in those days.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

The Romans would often use lead or clay pipes with either dirt or concrete packed around them to make a solid seal that would resist the water pressure and not burst the pipe like a ripe fruit.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

It needs to be water pressure because atmospheric pressure can’t lift water more than about 10 metres.