Gymnasion

Most commonly fed from subterranean aqueducts, springs or rivers, public fountains date to as early as the 6th century BC, providing accessible drinking water for the communities they served. Often carved from marble, fountains consisted of a great basin fed by bronze piping, usually with a stylised, mask-like waterspout. Animals, mythic beasts, and the gods were common designs. A fountain or pool was often the centrepiece of a courtyard or garden, and a display of power and wealth in eastern cities. Wells, springs and waterways channelled water to fill enclosed cisterns designed to reduce water loss through evaporation, which in turn fed the fountains by gravity.