Ostia

History

• 

  Situated at the mouth of the river Tiber, about thirty kilometers downstream from Rome
• According to legend, built by king Ancus Martius, and it may indeed be true that Rome already was in control of the estuary of the Tiber at an early stage
• Salinae, port (originally just the beach and the river), trade center, transshipment
• A colonia civium Romanorum in 350 VC
• Naval base during the First and Second Punic Wars
• Later especially important for merchant vessels carrying food from Sicily and Africa

Ostia, Synagogue	Ostia, Baths of the Porta Marina	Ostia, Forum, Capitol	Ostia, Forum
Ostia, Casa di Diana	Ostia, Mithraeum	Ostia, Horrea Epagathiana	Ostia, Inn

• 

  During the reign of the emperor Augustus (r.27 BCE - 14 CE), his right-hand man Agrippa built the theater
• The emperor Claudius (r.41-54) built two large piers, which extended into the sea and offered protection to the many merchant ships. This port was three kilometers north of Ostia itself. Inaugurated by Nero (r.54-68). This port was called Portus Augusti.
• Another expansion: the hexagonal port of Trajan (r.98-117)
• Suetonius occupied two priestly functions (flamen sacerdotalis and pontifex Volcanalis).
• Cemetery between Portus Augusti and Ostia itself
• Augustine and his mother Monnica lived here. Monnica was buried in Ostia; her epitaph survives
• 455: Used by the Vandals as base for their attack on Rome
• Still occupied in the sixth century CE but abandoned in the early Middle Ages

Ostia, Theater, Orchestra	Ostia, Theater, Outside	Ostia, Theater, Inscription	Ostia, Theater, Mask

Remains

• Many houses with several floors (e.g., Casa di Diana)
• Three public baths
• Sanctuaries, synagogue, genizah, temple of Mithras
• Barracks of the vigiles
• Granaries ("horrea")

Ostia, Piazzale delle corporazioni: the traders between Ostia and Sabratha	Ostia, Piazzale delle corporazioni, Arion	Ostia, Piazzale delle corporazioni: the traders between Ostia and Narbo	Ostia, Piazzale delle corporazioni

• Famous: the Piazzale delle corporazioni, with black-and-white mosaics in the offices of the merchants

Ostia, Genizah, Menorah	Ostia, Relief of the unloading of a boat	Ostia, Epitaph of Monnica	Ostia, Ostrogothic Fibula
Ostia, Relief with the port of Rome	Ostia, Altar with Romulus and Remus	Ostia, Portrait of Themistocles	Ostia, The geese of the Capitol