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Sergius Orata (fl. c. 95 BC) was a Roman merchant and hydraulic engineer who was famous during the Roman Republic
Roman Republic

The Roman Republic was the phase of the Ancient Rome characterized by a republican form of government; a period which began with the overthrow of the Roman Roman Kingdom, c....
.

Sergius was well-known by his contemporaries because of the breeding and commercialization of oyster
Oyster

The common name oyster is used for a number of different groups of bivalve mollusks, most of which live in marine habitats or brackish water....
s, in which he can be considered as a pioneer. Orata wanted to take advantage of Romans' taste for shellfish, so he developed a new system for breeding oysters. He constructed channels and preys to control sea tides, as well as high vaults over Lucrine Lake
Lucrinus Lacus

Lucrinus Lacus, or Lucrine Lake, a lake of Campania, Italy, about three kilometers to the south of Lake Avernus, and only separated from the sea by a narrow strip of land, traversed by the coast road? Via Herculanea, which runs on an embankment, the construction of which was traditionally attributed to Heracles in Strabo's time? and...
.

He is also credited with the invention of the hypocaust
Hypocaust

A 'hypocaust' is an ancient Rome system of central heating. The word literally means "heat from below", from the Ancient Greek hypo meaning below or underneath, and kaiein, to burn or light a fire....
, although this is not fully confirmed.






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Sergius Orata (fl. c. 95 BC) was a Roman merchant and hydraulic engineer who was famous during the Roman Republic
Roman Republic

The Roman Republic was the phase of the Ancient Rome characterized by a republican form of government; a period which began with the overthrow of the Roman Roman Kingdom, c....
.

Sergius was well-known by his contemporaries because of the breeding and commercialization of oyster
Oyster

The common name oyster is used for a number of different groups of bivalve mollusks, most of which live in marine habitats or brackish water....
s, in which he can be considered as a pioneer. Orata wanted to take advantage of Romans' taste for shellfish, so he developed a new system for breeding oysters. He constructed channels and preys to control sea tides, as well as high vaults over Lucrine Lake
Lucrinus Lacus

Lucrinus Lacus, or Lucrine Lake, a lake of Campania, Italy, about three kilometers to the south of Lake Avernus, and only separated from the sea by a narrow strip of land, traversed by the coast road? Via Herculanea, which runs on an embankment, the construction of which was traditionally attributed to Heracles in Strabo's time? and...
.

He is also credited with the invention of the hypocaust
Hypocaust

A 'hypocaust' is an ancient Rome system of central heating. The word literally means "heat from below", from the Ancient Greek hypo meaning below or underneath, and kaiein, to burn or light a fire....
, although this is not fully confirmed. All we know for sure is that he invented the hanging baths ("balneae pensiles"), some kind of relaxing thermal baths; they are usually considered to be hypocausts. He commercialized it as successfully as the oysters, becoming a sign of distinction among patrician
Patrician

The term "patrician" originally referred to a group of elitism citizens in ancient Rome, including both their natural and adopted members. In the late Roman empire, the class was broadened to include high council officials, and after the fall of the Western Empire became a term for Byzantine Imperial governors in the West....
s. He used to buy villages to construct the baths, and then resell them at higher prices.

The opinions of his contemporaries

  • The orata, Festus
    Sextus Pompeius Festus

    Sextus Pompeius Festus was a Ancient Rome grammarian, who probably flourished in the later 2nd century AD, perhaps at Narbo in Gaul.He made an epitome in 20 volumes of the encyclopedic treatise in many volumes De verborum significatu, of Verrius Flaccus, a celebrated grammarian who flourished in the reign of Caesar Augustus....
     wrote,     is a kind of fish that is called this way by its golden color (aurum). [...]. Because of this, it's said about a Sergio, who was the richest, that they were calling him orata, because he wore two big rings of gold. Some authorities assert that his nickname just comes from the commercialization of those fishes.
  • Roman people said about Sergius that he could breed oysters on the roof of his house.
  • He was dis­tinguished for his great wealth and his love for luxury and refinement.


See also

  • Hypocaust
    Hypocaust

    A 'hypocaust' is an ancient Rome system of central heating. The word literally means "heat from below", from the Ancient Greek hypo meaning below or underneath, and kaiein, to burn or light a fire....