Database: Street

Some ancient cities, like Athens, were noisy and dirty places. The largely unpaved streets were littered with human and animal waste. Nevertheless, the streets, and public buildings of Athens were under the supervision of magistrate called an astynomos who had the responsibility for ensuring their sanitation. Five of them were appointed for the city and five for the Piraeus. Their main duties were to keep the streets and religious shrines clean and free from obstruction. They made sure that garbage was not dumped inside the city and organized the garbage disposal outside the city walls. They also prohibited parts of buildings, such as balconies or extensions, from encroaching on public thoroughfares or having windows facing the streets. The districts where craftsmen gathered were often noisy, smoky, and unpleasant. Some streets, not equipped with night lighting, could even be dangerous.
Category:Abstergo Cloud database entries