Throughout his reign, Claudius conducted numerous public works
One of the most interesting facts about Claudius is that throughout his reign, Claudius conducted numerous public works. Throughout his reign, Claudius undertook numerous public works in both the capital and the countryside. He completed two aqueducts, the Aqua Claudia, which had been begun by Caligula, and the Aqua Anio Novus. These arrived in 52 and met at the Porta Maggiore. He also brought back a third, the Aqua Virgo.
He was particularly concerned about transportation. He built roads and canals throughout Italy and the provinces. Among these were a vast canal connecting the Rhine and the sea, as well as a route connecting Italy and Germany, both begun by his father, Drusus. Closer to Rome, he constructed a navigable Tiber canal that led to Portus, his new port just north of Ostia. This port was built in the shape of a semicircle, with two moles and a lighthouse at its entrance. The structure also helped to reduce flooding in Rome.
Claudius' answer to the periodic food shortages that occurred in winter, after the Roman shipping season, was the Ostia port. Another component of his approach was to insure the ships of grain merchants were willing to take the danger of traveling to Egypt during the off-season. He also offered its sailors additional advantages, such as citizenship and exemption from the marriage-regulating statute, the Lex Papia Poppaea. Furthermore, he eliminated Caligula's food tariffs and significantly decreased taxes on areas suffering from drought or famine.
Claudius' final plan was to expand the amount of arable land in Italy. This was to be accomplished by draining the Fucine lake, which would also make the neighboring river passable all year. A tunnel was excavated through the lake bed, however, the design did not work out. The lake's drainage continued to be an issue far into the Middle Ages. It was finally accomplished in the nineteenth century by Prince Torlonia, who created almost 160,000 acres of fresh arable land. He increased the size of the Claudian tunnel thrice.
