An Ancient City…Intact

While it was hard to figure out what went where in ancient Rome, Ostia…pictured here…was easy.  It is a 2,000 year-old city that’s still virtually intact.

Ostia was Rome’s port.  Ostia is 30 km down the Tiber River from Rome.  

In ancient times, everything that shipped to Rome…from Spain to Syria…came through this gate.  Ostia was a warehousing and distribution hub for everything from French grain to Egyptian marble.  

The decumana

This was its main street…home to a popuation of 50,000.

The city had running water from strategically placed fountains…and underground sewers to carry away rainwater. 

Many of the city’s buildings are still largely intact…like this house.

The buildings were built of brick and mortar.  The well-to-do finished their walls with marble where they could.

The less important rooms were finished with painted plaster.

Some of the paint jobs turned out to be early frescos.

The city had everything you would expect to find…

      

 Shops

Restaurants

Taverns...this one frequented by the fishmongers.

Horrea

This large warehouse stored grain for shipment to Rome.

Palestra

There was a gym to keep fit…

Roman Bath

…a sauna to relax sore muscles…

Roman Bath

…and a bath to clean up afterwards. 

Curia

There was a city hall to hold the seat of government…

Capitolium

…and a large hall for public meetings.

There was a large theater where they performed the latest Broadway hits fresh from Athens…

...whose entrance was guarded by the masks of comedy and tragedy. 

Romans were famous for their mosaics.  They were often more than just decoration.

They often identified what was going on in the building.  This famous mosaic marked the entry way to a store that sold fish and even shows the local lighthouse.

Some of the mosaics were beautiful and remarkably detailed.

Similarly, their statuary often served a purpose.  This one was at the House of Love and Psychie.  It is Ostia's most famous piece of recovered art.

And finally, perhaps a hundred meters from the Porta Marina, there were the remains of the Jewish synagogue.  It contains a kitchen to prepare onegs (treats for a gathering after services), a matzah oven and a mikva (ritual bath) at the entrance.  


Carol and Roger showed up for services, but---alas---we were a few centuries too late.

All and all, trying to explore a large city in less than 7 hours is hard work.  We saw so many interesting aspects of the lives of early Roman, but didn’t get to see everything.  Want to come with us next time?