Page:History of Art in Phœnicia and Its Dependencies Vol 1.djvu/391

 TOWNS AND HYDRAULIC WORKS. 369 the task must have been carried out by the methods familiar to the Roman engineers. Daux thus describes what are called the "small cisterns," those near the sea (Fig. 252) : " The reservoirs of Carthage were peculiar in their arrangement ; at the four angles of their vast parallelogram and in the centre were distributed six circular filters covered by as many domes or cupolas, which by their graceful lines varied the monotony of the barrel vaults which covered two rows of long parallel basins." Before ascribing these FIG. 252. Reservoirs ot Carthage. From Davis. 1 cisterns to the Carthaginians we must stop for a moment to inquire whether arches were built in Africa before the time of the Roman Conquest. In order to solve this question we must divide it, and inquire, first, whether there is any reason to suppose that the Phoenicians were ignorant of the arch. It is difficult to believe they were o J unacquainted with its principle. They must often have seen 1 Carthage and Her Remains, p. 392. VOL. I.