We Get Out of Town for a Day December 3, 2006
Today we decided to go have a look at the Ostia Antica. Ostia translates into mouth and refers to the mouth of the Tiber River which is about a thirty minute train ride west of Rome. Ostia was the port that serviced Rome during the height of the Roman Empire.
The area dates from around 300 BC although there is speculation that it may date from as far back as 500BC. The earliest finds suggest that initially it was a naval base. Starting in the 2nd century BC it became a commercial port. During the civil wars in 87 BC it was occupied by the Italian forces but returned to Roman rule after the war. It was plundered again by pirates a few years later which led to the building of new town walls. The town and port continued to service the empire until the 6th century AD at times being under a local government and at times being governed by Rome.
Today there has been extensive archeological work in the area and it is easy to spend a day wandering around the ruins and museum that are open to the public. We bought a map of the town and spent most of today looking at grave sites, baths, warehouses and a most impressive amphitheater which is said to hold about 3000 people. The amphitheater is in classic style and is the best preserved one we have seen. When we got there a young lady was sitting high on the wall by herself dressed in a bird costume. We sat for a while taking in the view and the whole time the “bird” never moved. We finally moved down a hundred yards or so in front of the theater to look at a temple. While we were there a troop of Italian “Brownie Scouts” came into the amphitheater. Upon their arrival the “bird” rose and started an eloquent speech with which the Brownies began to interact. Of course this was all in Italian so we have no idea what they were saying, but it seems that they are determined to teach the girls about the ancient theater. We also saw two other troops of scouts around the grounds all involved in activities and they seem to be having a lot of fun. Good for them!
We also stumbled on a “dig” that was down a set of dark cellar like stairs that ran under other ground level ruins. Water had collected in the cellar making it that much more dark and mysterious. There was no plaque explaining what was being done just hoses and gauges leading down into the black watery abyss.
Before coming to Rome I had a picture in my mind of marble structures standing white and gleaming in the sun. Now I find out that most structures were made of a mix of brick, stone and a material called tufa which is a type of rock formed from the evaporation of water with high calcium carbonate content. It forms a soft stone that is easily shaped and was used extensively by the Romans for building. In the more prestigious buildings marble was used as a covering but most common buildings were not so adorned. The point is that my mind’s picture of what Rome looked like has changed dramatically.
After our tour of Ostia we stopped at a local restaurant on the way back to the train for a late lunch. An unusual place with the main dining room under a canopy of draped fabrics and recesses in the floor covered with glass containing human skeletons. Roman armor and weaponry completed the décor. The waitress spoke about two words of English, but the food was great and we had a wonderful time.
Back on the train we encountered two of the scout troops that made the ride back to the city more fun or at least noisier. Back in town we stopped for a coffee and a glass of wine before calling it a day.
One more day in Rome and we’re not sure what we are going to do. Tune in tomorrow for the finale.
The area dates from around 300 BC although there is speculation that it may date from as far back as 500BC. The earliest finds suggest that initially it was a naval base. Starting in the 2nd century BC it became a commercial port. During the civil wars in 87 BC it was occupied by the Italian forces but returned to Roman rule after the war. It was plundered again by pirates a few years later which led to the building of new town walls. The town and port continued to service the empire until the 6th century AD at times being under a local government and at times being governed by Rome.
Today there has been extensive archeological work in the area and it is easy to spend a day wandering around the ruins and museum that are open to the public. We bought a map of the town and spent most of today looking at grave sites, baths, warehouses and a most impressive amphitheater which is said to hold about 3000 people. The amphitheater is in classic style and is the best preserved one we have seen. When we got there a young lady was sitting high on the wall by herself dressed in a bird costume. We sat for a while taking in the view and the whole time the “bird” never moved. We finally moved down a hundred yards or so in front of the theater to look at a temple. While we were there a troop of Italian “Brownie Scouts” came into the amphitheater. Upon their arrival the “bird” rose and started an eloquent speech with which the Brownies began to interact. Of course this was all in Italian so we have no idea what they were saying, but it seems that they are determined to teach the girls about the ancient theater. We also saw two other troops of scouts around the grounds all involved in activities and they seem to be having a lot of fun. Good for them!
We also stumbled on a “dig” that was down a set of dark cellar like stairs that ran under other ground level ruins. Water had collected in the cellar making it that much more dark and mysterious. There was no plaque explaining what was being done just hoses and gauges leading down into the black watery abyss.
Before coming to Rome I had a picture in my mind of marble structures standing white and gleaming in the sun. Now I find out that most structures were made of a mix of brick, stone and a material called tufa which is a type of rock formed from the evaporation of water with high calcium carbonate content. It forms a soft stone that is easily shaped and was used extensively by the Romans for building. In the more prestigious buildings marble was used as a covering but most common buildings were not so adorned. The point is that my mind’s picture of what Rome looked like has changed dramatically.
After our tour of Ostia we stopped at a local restaurant on the way back to the train for a late lunch. An unusual place with the main dining room under a canopy of draped fabrics and recesses in the floor covered with glass containing human skeletons. Roman armor and weaponry completed the décor. The waitress spoke about two words of English, but the food was great and we had a wonderful time.
Back on the train we encountered two of the scout troops that made the ride back to the city more fun or at least noisier. Back in town we stopped for a coffee and a glass of wine before calling it a day.
One more day in Rome and we’re not sure what we are going to do. Tune in tomorrow for the finale.
posted by Gary and Holly Davis @ 11:09 AM
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