04-23: Ostia Antica

 

Breakfast at Testaccio Market

 

Train to Ostia Antica

Ostia Antica:

25 miles southwest of Rome is the ancient port city of Ostia (though it is no longer on the sea). The city’s decline after antiquity led to harbor deterioration, marshy conditions, and reduced population. Sand dunes eventually covered the city, which aided in its preservation. Ostia Antica is now a large, well preserved archaeological site.

Ostia may have been Rome’s first colony, defeated in the 7^th century BCE, though the oldest archaeological remains date back to the 4^th century BCE. The town was attacked and partially destroyed by pirates in 68 BCE. The town was then rebuilt with defensive walls. Emperor Tiberius developed Ostia further, building its first Forum in the first century CE. Ostia, at its peak, is estimated to have had 100,000 citizens in the 2^nd and 3^rd centuries CE. It contained a large theater, many public baths, and numerous taverns and inns. It even had a synagogue, the earliest yet identified in Europe. The prosperity of the city continued through the 5^th century CE. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 CE, Ostia slowly fell into decay. 

We ended up exploring Ostia Antica for 5 hours. It is a very impressive site. 

 

Inscription commemorating the construction of the city walls in the first century BCE.

 

Ancient baths dating to the late first century CE.

 

Ancient theater

 

The mosaic tiles in the front of this shop explained what products or services were for sale.

 

The temple of Cybele, a Goddess of Fertility, second century CE. 

Oxen were used to rotate the top part of the millstone to grind the grain.

 

This was the inside of a well preserved tavern. 

This is exactly what it looks like: an ancient latrine. 

We ended up leading back to my place for a dinner salad. But first, we stopped at a market and bought some delicious prosciutto. This butcher was a master.