The English version has been carried out by the English department of liceo classico scientifico Francesco Sbordone
Naples and Its Waters: A 2700-Year History
Neapolis and the Aqua Augusta Aqueduct:
The Aqueduct in the Phlegraean Area
Puteoli, lacking defensive walls, boasted an amphitheatre that ranked third in size, after those of Rome and Capua, and was among the major ports of the Empire. Puteoli was also served by a local aqueduct originating from the nearby Mount Gauro (Gaurus mons) and the surrounding hills. However, the Augustan aqueduct enriched its water supply and allowed the existence of various basins, some of which still exist (Lusciano pool and Centocamerelle in Villa Avellino, Cardito pool).
Beyond Puteoli, the aqueduct ran towards Cumae, circling around the north side of Lake Avernus. A branch of the aqueduct (1 km) reached Cumae through a tunnel.
After circling around the south side of Lake Avernus, the aqueduct headed towards Baia and Bavli, finally reaching Misenum and its military port, the main and fundamental objective of the aqueduct's construction. It ended, among other places, in the impressive so-called "piscina mirabilis" and other pools in the area, such as the one called Dragonara near Punta Miseno.
The region was not self-sufficient in terms of water.
In particular, the military port required large quantities of water, making the aqueduct indispensable for this critical need.
Inside the grand cistern, capable of holding over 12,600 cubic meters of water, the Augustan aqueduct from Serino poured about 20,000 cubic metres of water per day.
This water was mainly used for the "Classis Praetoria Misenensis," stationed in Misenum, confirming a predominantly "military" function of the Augustan water system, without neglecting, however, the main port centres of the Phlegraean area and the favored leisure spots of the Roman aristocratic class.
With the fall of Roman military power and the decline of the fleet, the military port lost its function, and consequently, the Augustan aqueduct lost the fundamental reason for its existence.
The date of the aqueduct's abandonment is historically placed around 537 AD during the siege by the Byzantine general Belisarius.