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