Fons
A fountain for ceremonial, decorative, or practical use; not to be confused with the Roman god of the same name
Fons (plural fontes) is a Latin term that literally refers to natural springs of water, but over time came to refer to fountains, both natural and artificial, in the ancient Roman world. Both the Romans and the Greeks relied on fontes as sources of water, especially in urban centers. They could be built around natural springs, or they could be built with pipes running water to them - usually supplied by aqueducts (aquaeducti) that channeled freshwater to city centers from sometimes distant sources. Fontes, just as they do today, typically consisted of jets of water channeled through pipes, supplied by a natural spring or aquaeductus, that flowed into a basin within which it could be collected and stored. Fontes in the Roman world served decorative and practical purposes; not only were they often decorated with lavish carvings and sculptures, they served as the primary sources of freshwater for the majority of Roman citizens. While many wealthy Romans could afford to run water directly to their domus (house) or villa (estate), the majority of Rome’s population had to collect their daily water from local fontes in their communities. The wealthiest citizens sometimes had fontes in their horti (gardens) and peristylia (colonnaded courtyards), and fontes were common in public horti as well (Murray, 1875). Even today, fontes supplied by aquaeducti make up a large part of the urban landscape of Rome (Italy Perfect, 2019).
Bibliography
Latin Dictionary Entry
Fons - Perseus Digital Library
Jay Brodzeller, 2022