Cloaca Maxima - a sewer system that has functioned for 2500 years....

Here is a picture of the Senate in Rome. This building was built in 44 BC, under Julius Caesar, and itself replaced earlier Senates.

After a Roman magistrate served his term in office, it usually was followed with automatic appointment to the Senate.

The Senate controlled money, administration, and the details of foreign policy.

The power and authority of the Senate derived from precedent, the high caliber and prestige of the senators, and the Senate's unbroken lineage, which dated back to the founding of the Republic in 509 BC.

The Cloaca Maxima was a sewer system built in Rome in 600 BC. I photographed its outfall at the Forum in Rome. 

The eleven aqueducts which supplied water to Rome by the 1st century AD were finally channeled into the sewers after having supplied the many public baths, public fountains, imperial palaces and private houses. The continuous supply of running water helped to remove wastes and keep the sewers clear of obstructions.

The Cloaca Maxima was well maintained throughout the life of the Roman Empire and even today drains rainwater and debris from the center of town, below the ancient Forum. In 33 BC it is known to have received an inspection and overhaul from Agrippa who was a colleague of Julius Ceaser.

The outfall of the Cloaca Maxima into the River Tiber is still visible today.