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• 1 2022-11-01T14:15:03-07:00 The development and decline of Ostia in Ancient Rome 50 image_header 2022-12-08T12:11:39-08:00 "Ostia Antica (32940582838)" by Sonse on Wikimedia Commons
  
  Ostia, or Ostia Antica as it is known today, has a long history of occupation, use, and change through the Roman era. The history and function of the city can be tracked from the 4th century BCE to the 5th and 6th centuries CE through the archaeological evidence of the site. The city began as a military fortress in the 4th century BCE before becoming a maritime port, an administrative center and commercial city. It’s decline began in the Roman period during the later parts of the 3rd century to the 4th century CE and continued to decline through the fall of the Western Roman Empire and a bit beyond.
  
  
  
  Ostia Antica is located 30 kilometers outside of Rome. Historically, Ostia was surrounded by water, with the Tyrrhenian Sea on one side and the Tiber on the other (figure 1). According to Livy (27 – 9 BCE / 1919), Ostia was Rome’s first colony and was established by Ancius Marcus, the fourth king of Rome, in the late 7th century BCE. 
  
  
  The oldest archaeological evidence found in Ostia, so far, is the Castrum Repubblicano which dates to the late 4th or early 3rd century BCE. The Castrum, a military fortress, was established near the river and became the center of Ostia. It was used as a naval base during the Punic Wars and potentially as the main base for the Roman fleet (Rice, 2018). By the 3rd century, Ostia had expanded beyond the function of the Castrum, and began its shift towards being a maritime trading center with new buildings being constructed (figure 2). At the time, Ostia had a harbor basin that allowed even the heaviest ships to dock in the city (Goiran et al. 2018). There were many buildings built between the 3rd and 1st centuries BCE including temples, businesses, and domus (large opulent houses normally associated with aristocrats) (figure 2). The Tiber began flooding in the 1st century BCE to the 1st century CE bringing sediment and filling the harbor basin until only smaller and lighter ships could enter the river mouth (Goiran et al. 2018). This period marked the end of the city serving as the naval base for the fleet (Rice, 2018).
  
  
  The filling of Ostia’s harbor resulted in the construction of Portus, a port city three kilometers away from Ostia, during the 1st century CE. After Portus’ harbor was completed, Ostia was largely rebuilt under the reigns of Emperors Trajan and Hadrian. During the 2nd century CE, Ostia reached its height with the construction of many new buildings. Despite Ostia’s harbor being filled, the city’s river quays were still functional but were smaller than those in Rome or Portus (Keay, 2012). Ostia become an administrative center. The main part of the Piazzale delle Corporazioni (Square of the Corporations), was built in the 1st century BCE and underwent major modifications in the 2nd century. This square contained stationes (offices) and was the gathering space of government officials, guilds, and merchants from all over the Mediterranean. The vigiles consisting of police officers and firefighters were housed in the Caserma de vigili (barracks of the fire brigade), which was rebuilt towards the end of Trajan’s reign. In Ostia, the collegia’s (guilds) presence was more apparent than in Portus which led archaeologists to believe the city operated as the headquarters for many of the guilds related to both cities (Keay, 2012). One of the largest guilds was the fabri navales (the ship-carpenters), who oversaw the construction and repair of ships. Their temple, the Tempio dei Fabri Navales, was in Ostia. Archaeologists estimate that between the 1st and 2nd centuries CE, Ostia housed between 10,000 to 50,000 people (Salomon et al. 2018). Many of the people likely commuted to Portus during the busy season due to limited residential space in Portus (Keay, 2012). Most of the population were likely housed in multi-story apartment buildings (ostia-antica.org), such as the Case a Giardino (Garden Houses). These buildings were constructed almost entirely in the 2nd century with only one constructed in the 3rd century (figure 3). The bottom floor of these apartments could also contain businesses or workshops (figure 2). Examining figure 2, shows construction of domus increased as well, but not at the same rate as apartment buildings.   
  
  During the first part of the 3rd century CE, Ostia still flourished, but the city’s decline began in the later part of the century and continued into the 4th century. Figure 3 shows that fewer new buildings were constructed and there was an increase in modifications to older buildings. Some buildings were almost entirely repurposed, such as apartment buildings becoming domus. Sometime between the two centuries, most of the government officials and guilds abandoned their offices in Ostia and moved to Portus. Archaeological evidence suggests that the vigiles also abandoned the barracks sometime after 356 to 363. During the last quarter of the 3rd century, Ostia was struck by an earthquake resulting in a fire that destroyed many buildings including the Case a Giardino. The Tempio dei Fabri Navales became a storage yard for marble pillars sometime in the 4th century. Despite many people leaving Ostia, life in the city continued; domus were still built and buildings were still modified including the Teatro (Theater) using parts of the Piazzale delle Corporazioni (figure 3), There is also mention of the river quays continued use towards the end of the 4th century (Salomon et al. 2018).
  
  
  
  Archaeological evidence shows people continued living among the different layers of the Case a Giardino and some of the building had been rebuilt in the 5th century. When the Goths and other groups attacked Ostia and Portus in the 5th and 6th centuries, the Teatro was repurposed into a fortress. One of the last modifications to a Roman era building occurred in the 6th century, as shown by the final dot in 509 on figure 4. This took place after the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 CE.
  
  Examining patterns of construction, modification, and destruction or abandonment both on a broad scale across Ostia and in relation to specific buildings and building types shows the development of Ostia was closely linked to the Tiber and later Portus. The city’s height was in the 1st, 2nd, and early 3rd century CE after being rebuilt by Trajan and Hadrian. As the 3rd century progressed, the city began to decline with fewer buildings being created, more being modified, and buildings either being destroyed in disasters or abandoned. Although declining, Ostia would continue through the 4th century to the 6th century including through the fall of the Western Roman Empire.