Fortunately for the Romans, the Romans were able to obtain ballistae as spoils of war after making the Greek city-states a part of the Roman Republic and once again borrowing from the Greeks. Although they took the Greek ballistae as their own, they were not just copycats. The Romans were able to develop them into much smaller versions that were more easily carried and lighter in weight that also had improved accuracy by 25% . This new improved ballista was able to give the Romans an advantage in range and diversity of their military tactics. For example, during Julius Caesar 's first invasion of Britain he was struggling to unload his men on the shores available due to the overwhelming amount of British charioteers and other troops. So in retaliation Caesar ordered his warships to flank the British troops "from which position the slings, bows and artillery could be used by men on deck to drive them back. This manoeuvre was highly successful. Scared by the strange shape of the warships, the motion of the oars, and the unfamiliar machines, the natives halted and retreated" . Being able to earn victories like this increased their territories but the ballistae were also useful for domestic affairs. For example, ballistae were “even used to quell riots” …show more content…
Thankfully, the Romans were able to access clean water to keep them both sanitary and merry. Drinking water is a basic need that all humans have, but unfortunately Rome’s “groundwater was notoriously unpalatable, and water from the Tiber was unsafe to drink” . By building aqueducts that could bring clean water from far away and inaccessible terrains, like valleys, to drink as well as many other things. For example, aqueducts allowed for running water, indoor plumbing, and sewage systems which would all serve to create cleaner and healthier citizens that had access to safe water to consume and water to clean themselves. Additionally, while on the topic of sanitation, thanks to aqueducts public baths were able to exist and they were useful for cleanliness as well as culture and entertainment. A public bath would improve the health of Romans due to the swimming areas and gymnasiums that offered an area to exercise, as well as saunas to remove dirt and perform massages, but more importantly they were gathering spots. In the baths “people could relax, […] and keep up with the latest news” . Due to the long bathing process at the public baths, conversation was welcomed and “Many Romans would use the baths as a place to invite their friends to dinner parties, and many politicians would go to the baths to convince fellow Romans to join their causes” . Also, emperors would build