Ostia: Life in a Roman Port
May 26, 2015
Ostia:Life in a Roman Port
Portus: Commerce in a Roman Port
Significance
• First stop for imports to Rome• Major examples of brick-faced concrete
construction• “Quintessential” example of 2nd century
domestic architecture (Pompeii - 1st century)• Range of social classes• Relatively good preservation
The Importance of OstiaVideo
American Institute for Roman Culture
Conservation for the future: Ostia Antica - Rinaldi
Statues awaiting transport to a lime kiln, almost suffering the fate of much of Ostia
Agenda - Today
• Why study Ostia and Portus• Overview of the city and port• People of Ostia and Portus– Who are they (brief)– Birth and childhood – Marriage– Women at work
Tentative Agenda
Week 2 Work, the economy, public buildingsWeek 3 Home and entertainmentWeek 4 Religion - death
Vocabulary
Prosopography πρόσωπον (face)Matrimony materApotropaic ἀποτρόπαιος (averting evil)Horrea - warehouse
Where
Ostia and Portus
Archaeological Area ~2001
Claudian Harbor - Lighthouse
Claudian Harbor - Mole
Port of Trajan
Port of Trajan
“Imperial Palace”
Imperial Palace – Computer Reconstruction
Portus - Darsena
Entering Portus Harbor
Excavating the mole
Port of Claudius – Based on Excavations
Trajan’s Basin – Google Earth
Portus - Lighthouse
Lighthouse site 2007
Portus Shipyard – Trajan’s harbor
Sea Going Vessel
Fishing Vessel
Mapping Portus
Portus – Amphitheatre?
Portus - Amphitheatre
Portus – Late Antique
Port at Ostia
Population of the Late Ostians
• Based on names on inscriptions– 94 (28 per cent) out of the 341 dedicatees,
whose status can be securely identified, are freeborn.
– 166 (29 per cent) of the 568 cognomins are Latin names without any apparent 'servile' connotation.
– 56% of builders have Greek names– 26-30% of members of collegia were Greek
Residents from the Empire and beyond
Weighted annual average δ18O of precipitation in Italy
Finding out where they are from
Isotope variation
Molars
Age, gender, diet
• The higher the nitrogen the higher the amount of marine foods in the diet OR
• The higher the amount of meat in the diet
• Females eat more vegetables OR
• Females eat less fish
Childbirth (Science Museum London)
Childbirth (Museum, Ostia)
Childbirth (Roman plaque)
Nursing
Weaning
Protecting Children (Apotropaic amulets)
Bulla
Sport
A Boy Grows Up
Toys or votives?
Board games
Roman School (Trier)
Grafitto
Slat
e, F
oro
della
Sta
tua
Eroi
ca
Inscription published by Carlo Ludovico Visconti
Children in religious rituals
Marriage cum manu
Marriage Requirement
Marriage Age
Legal• Girls 12• Boys 14Practice• Late teens for females• Late 20s for males
Figures for Roman Empire
Divorce – Roman Style
• Initiated by either party• Return of dowry if initiated by husband• Partial retention if:– Initiated by wife– Children– Adultery by wife
Ideals of Marriage
• Faithful to one man• Obedient• Eternal
Working woman: Septimia Stratonice, shoemaker
Nonia Pelagia, baker (along w. her husband)
Food sales
Barmaid
Sales - Vegetables
Other female occupations
• Doctor• Gladiator (based on an inscription)• Prostitute• Lead pipe producers or suppliers– (Iulia Aquilina)– Faltonia Proba w. husband, Clodius Alfinus– Anicia Italica w. husband, Valerius Faltonius
Adelfius
Female doctor and/or pharmacist - Gaul
Faltonia AniciaFistula stamps
Notable Women
• Mothers of collegia (Matres collegiorum)– Claudia Arria, Iunia Zosime: dendrophorum (cult of
the Great Mother – branch bearers)– Domitia Civitas: cannophorum (cult of the Great
Mother – reed bearers)– Macia Menophile: fabrum navalium (shipbuilders)
• Patroness– Iscantia Prima: hastoforum Ostiensium (lance
bearers)
Endymion Sarcophagus
ANINIA HILARA / CL * ARRIAE MARI / INCONPARABILE / FECIT VIXIT * / ANN * L * MEN / * X.
Claudia Arria