Click here for our comprehensive article on the Romans. Public Baths- The public baths were very, very, very popular. The historiography of Roman public health 10 a. Updated August 02, 2019. Explore content created by others. They had to do this because Rome had grown in size and it was impossible to find a natural source of fresh water in the city. Why did the Romans do it? The Romans made links between causes of disease and methods of prevention. 2000 years ago, aqueducts were built to bring the fresh water to Rome, with the water, the Romans could take baths, drink fresh water through their fountains. Related. They had to do this because Rome had grown in size and it was impossible to find a natural source of fresh water in the city. . In conclusion, I believe that public health was much better under Roman rule, although the Medieval government did endeavour to improve the situation (albeit without much success.) Preview. They got their water from public wells or aqueduct fed fountains. Among their finest works were the numerous ways of improving public health in towns and cities. This article is part of our larger resource on the Romans culture, society, economics, and warfare. Visit Roman Pabayo's profile to learn more about his work. This form of empirical observation led the Romans to realise that death rates were higher in and around marshes and swamps.