The history of “OSTIA ANTICA”
COMENIUS MULTILATERAL EXCHANGE
“WHERE DO CULTURES MEET?”
Rome meeting 13-18 November 2011
THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL AREA OF
OSTIA ANTICA
FOR FOREIGN STUDENTS
LICEO SCIENTIFICO STATALE ARISTOTELE
‘This project has been funded with support from the European
Commission.This publication reflects the views only of the authors,
and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may
be made of the information contained therein.’
OSTIA ANTICA
ORIGIN
Located at the mouth of the River Tiber, according to the
legend, Ostia was founded by Ancus Marcius (Anco Marzio), the
fourth king of Rome, in the 7th century B.C. But to the
archaeological researches have permitted to find an oldest military
camp, the “castrum”, which, like every roman colony, was divided in
four areas through two perpendicular axes: the “decumanus maximus”,
from east to west; and the “cardo maximus”, from north to
south.
The name of Ostia comes from Ostium (mouth of the river). A long
time ago, in fact, the Tiber’s track ended in this point before
flowing into the Tyrrhenian Sea. Afterward, in 1575, an enormous
spate has changed the track of the river sacred to Romans, from
then on it was curved to the north, moving his bed about two
kilometres.
RISE
Although Ostia was probably founded for the sole purpose of
military defence — since hostile armies could eventually reach Rome
by water through the mouth of the Tiber River — soon the port
became a very important commercial harbor. Many of the goods that
Rome received from its colonies and provinces passed through Ostia,
including the essential grain supply to the city of Rome. In this
role, Ostia soon replaced Pozzuoli, known to the ancient Romans as
“Puteoli”, a port near Naples. In 87 BC, the town was razed by
Gaius Marius.
Main sites
NECROPOLIS
Entering in the archaeological area, the first thing you can see
is the Via Ostiense, the main artery that links the ancient Rome
and Ostia, along which a short stretch of the necropolis extends.
The graves, in fact, were built all outside the town, in respect of
old standards. All of them expand in the southern side, leaving the
strip of land near the Tiber free, considered public land and used
to carry out activities related to the river port. Over the time
the necropolis continued to spread south of an internal street and
during the Imperial age, with increasing imperial tombs, it was
necessary to add another pavement parallel to Via Ostiense, which
was named "Street of the tombs ".
Here we can find different types of tombs and graves: initially
prevailed the incineration rite, the tombs consist of open-air
enclosures or monuments like altars. Afterwards the graves turned
into rooms containing sarcophagi made of marble or clay, of which
we can find some rests near the city walls. The more interesting
tomb is the Ermogene’s one, planted on a building.
NEPTUNES’ THERMAL BATHS
This is Nettuno’s thermal complex, created under Domitian, then
rebuilt by Adriano, who suspended the work because there were not
funds enough; finally, it was finished thanks to the emperor
Antoninus Pius who continued the works using his own patrimony in
139 AD.
In the mosaic room, one of the most grandiose of Ostia, in a
space of 18 meters x 12 meters, is portrayed the Triumph of
Neptune, which was riding four horses, surrounded by a procession
of sea monsters, and Triton. The mosaic in the adjacent room
depicts the queen of the sea, Amphitrite, led by Imene and four
tritons playing cymbal. Up ahead we can see the “frigidarium”,
where there are two pools, adorned with another mosaic depicting
Scylla; below there are two “tepidariae” and a “caldarium” with two
pools for hot baths.
THE THEATRE
The theatre has been built by Augusto so it’s a very old
building and with “Piazzale delle Corporazioni” formed a
magnificent complex.
At the end of the second century Commodus rebuilt the theatre
improving its capacity to 4000 spectators. At the end of the fourth
century Ragonio Vincenzio Celso reinforced the central corridor of
entry using bases of statues taken from “Piazzale delle
Corporazioni”, now abandoned, and he erected a statue of Rome whose
pedestal is still visible behind the east Nymphaeum.
THE CAPITOLIUM
The main sacred building of Ostia, dedicated to Jupiter, Juno
and Minerva, was built in 120 AD. It’s composed by imposing
staircase and podium entirely made of bricks, at the bottom, there
is a podium reserved for statues of worship. What has come to the
present day of the Capitolium is only the skeleton: originally it
was covered with marble which, since the medieval period, has been
gradually removed to be used for newer buildings.
LA FORICA
Even if it was situated inside of the “Caseggiato dei Triclini”
it was used as a latrine for public use. There were about 20 seats
and 2 mills: the first one, situated under the seats, was used to
drain out the dirty water; in the second one, instead, flowed a
miscellaneous of water and vinegar the ancient Romans used to clean
themselves.
1.
Ingresso agli Scavi di Ostia
63.
Insula dei Dipinti
2.
Necropoli di Porta Romana sulla Via Ostiense
64.
Casa dei Dolii
3.
Porta Romana e Cinta Sillana
65.
Cardo Massimo
4.
Piazzale della Vittoria
66.
Caseggiato dei Misuratori del Grano
5.
Magazzini Repubblicani
67.
Via Tecta
6.
Terme dei Cisiarii
68.
Piccolo Mercato
7.
Horrea
69.
Curia
8.
Sabazeo
70.
Caseggiato del Larario
9.
Terme di Nettuno
71.
Domus del Tempio Rotondo
10.
Caserma dei Vigili
72.
Basilica
11.
Insula del Soffitto Dipinto
73.
Tempio Rotondo
13.
Caupona di Fortunato
74.
Tempio Collegiale
14.
Memoria Cristiana
75.
Domus di Giove Fulminatore
15.
Horrea di Hortensius
76.
Terme
16.
Horrea dell'Artemide
77.
Insula del Sacello di Iside
17.
Porticato degli Archi Trionfali
78.
Macellum
18.
Teatro
79.
Taberna dei Pescivendoli
19.
Foro delle Corporazioni
80.
Insula del Dioniso
20.
Schola dell'Ara della Lupa
81.
Insula dell'Aquila
21.
Domus di Apuleius
82.
Mitreo delle Sette Porte
22.
Quattro Tempietti Repubblicani
83.
Terme delle Sei Colonne
23.
Mitreo delle Sette Sfere
84.
Schola del Traiano
24.
Grandi Horrea
85.
Angiportico delle Tabernae Finestrate
25.
Tempio Collegiale
86.
Portico della Fontana a Lucerna
26.
Augustali
87.
Caupona di Alexander Helix
27.
Fullonica
88.
Porta Marina
28.
Tempio della Bona Dea
89.
Monumento Sepolcrale
29.
Mitreo di Felicissimo
90.
Santuario della Bona Dea
30.
Mitreo dei Serpenti
91.
Domus Fulminata
31.
Caseggiato del Sole
92.
Tomba di Cartilio Poplicola
32.
Terme
93.
Terme della Marciana
33.
Insula dell'Invidioso
94.
Sinagoga
34.
Domus della Fortuna Annonaria
95.
Domus
35.
Terme
96.
Domus del Ninfeo
36.
Molini
97.
Domus dei Dioscuri
37.
Domus della Medusa
98.
Insula del Graffito
38.
Porta Laurentina
99.
Insula delle Pareti Gialle
39.
Tempio di Bellona
100.
Insula delle Muse
40.
Schola degli Hastiferi
101.
Insula delle Volte Dipinte
41.
Tempio della Magna Mater
102.
Case Giardino
42.
Mitreo degli Animali
103.
Terme Marittime
43.
Terme di Faro
104.
Domus di Marte
44.
Caseggiato dell'Ercole Bambino
105.
Tempio di Fabbri Navali
45.
Fullonica
106.
Basilica Cristiana
46.
Caupona del Pavone
107.
Casa del Mosaico del Porto
47.
Domus dei Pesci
108.
Casa del Serapide
48.
Domus delle Colonne
109.
Terme dei Sette Sapienti
49.
Ninfeo degli Eroti
110.
Casa degli Aurighi
50.
Terme del Foro
111.
Sacello delle Tre Navate
51.
Forica
112.
Casa di Annio
52.
Caseggiato dei Triclini
113.
Terme della Trinacria
53.
Tempio di Roma e Augusto
114.
Caseggiato di Bacco e Arianna
54.
Capitolium
115.
Mitreo del Palazzo Imperiale
55.
Thermopolium
116.
Terme del Palazzo Imperiale
56.
Porta e Mura del Castrum
117.
Mercati Traianei
57.
Caseggiato del Molino
118.
Horrea dei Mensores
58.
Sacello del Silvano
119.
Aula dei Mensores
59.
Casa di Diana
120.
Terme del Mitra
60.
Mitreo di Lucrezio Menandro
121.
Area Sacra dei Templi Repubblicani
61.
Insula di Giove e Ganimede
122.
Domus di Amore e Psiche
62.
Insula di Bacco Fanciullo
123.
Terme di Buticosus
124.
Horrea Epagathiana ed Epafroditiana
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