Ostia Antica / Roman Excavations
The history of Ostia Antica stretches far back in time: according
to tradition, although not yet confirmed, to the 6th Century B.C., when
it was founded by king Ancus Martius as the first Roman colony. In reality,
the oldest remains of Ostia only date back to the 4th Century B.C. and
belonged to the first fortified citadel. The name Ostia comes from the
Latin "ostium", meaning mouth of the Tiber.
For a long time Ostia was Rome's only river port, where large freight
ships that arrived here had unload their cargo onto smaller boats that
were able to go up the river to Rome. The barges, drawn by long lines
of buffalo moving along the banks, reached the harbor of Forum Boarium,
located near the Isola Tiberina.
The inhabitants of Ostia were merchants, ship owners, craftsmen, laborers,
freed-men and slaves of different languages and religions. Ostia's cosmopolitan
nature can be seen in the sanctuaries, temples and shrines dedicated,
to the local gods, as well as to the Eastern ones, mainly Persian, Phrygian
and Egyptian.
The excavations of Ostia are quite extensive and more than rival those
of Pompeii. The site boasts numerous marvelous mosaics, many of which
are still perfectly preserved, that decorate the pavements provide us
with a goldmine of information on the cities with which Ostia carried
on trade, on the goods dealt with and on the guilds working at the port.
For a delightful panoramic view of the site, venture up the steps of
the theatre, founded in the age of Augustus.
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