Originally posted on July 13, 2012 by Canicus

Ostia

Ancient Rome was a city of over one million people. Ostia, where the Tiber flowed into the Tyrrhenian Sea, was the seaport that supplied the city with grain and other items shipped from all over the Mediterranean. In a society where bread was the major staple of diet, along with porridge made from grain, the arrival of grain in huge quantities was as critical to the city’s survival as the water brought in by the numerous aqueducts. And while huge grain ships were a major part of the traffic at Ostia, so were ships bearing wine, oil and imports of silk and frankincense. Over time the shoreline has extended several miles from Ostia and it has been centuries since it was an important port city. Much of the ruins remain, sometimes even second stories of buildings which contained shops on the lower level and dwellings above. Also, because of the nature of the city’s economics, much of the ruins consist of warehouses and wholesale dealers’ facilities.

Archeology is discovering new things. When I was in college, we were taught that the Romans did not navigate in open waters, but rather sailed around the Mediterranean, keeping shorelines in sight. Underwater archeology has shown this was not true. Liquids, such as wine and olive oil, were shipped in large anaphora. These are seen in museums and come in all sizes ranging from tiny jars to hole a ounce of precious perfumes to huge barrel sized jars used in shipping. Characteristically, they have rounded bottoms, expand outward toward the top before narrowing at the top with maybe a couple of handles at the top. Archeologists have discovered literal highways of these amphorae between port cities of the ancient world littering the bottom of the Mediterranean. These highways cut straight across the Mediterranean and are only a few hundred feet wide. We are not quite sure why these ended up on the bottom. It isn’t a trail of shipwrecks. One guess is that at least the contents of some were consumed by the people on the ship and then thrown overboard when emptied. It is also possible that if a ship was in danger of sinking, some of the cargo would be thrown overboard to lighten the ship.

Visiting Ostia is quite pleasant. There are lots of pine trees that provide shade and a nice breeze blowing off the sea to make it comfortable.

Today the hotel finally let me buy at one time enough WiFi hours for the rest of my stay in Rome. Only two more days here, and then to Lyon, France. One week from now I will be on my way home.

Canicus Modius