Ostia Antica, a short trip from Rome, offers a fascinating up-close look at ancient lifestyles
Sitting on the top row of the ancient arena, I scan the ruins of Ostia, letting my imagination take me back 2,000 years to the days when this was ancient Rome’s seaport, a thriving commercial centre of 60,00 people. I marvel also at how few visitors make the simple 20-mile trip from downtown Rome to what I consider the most underappreciated sight in all of Italy.
With the fall of Rome, the port was abandoned. Over time the harbour silted up. I’d like to take a moment to thank the mud that eventually buried Ostia, protecting it from the ravages of time — and from stone-scavenging medieval peasants. These days, you can stroll among the ruins and trace the grid standard for Roman military towns: a rectangular fort with east, west, north, and south gates and two main roads converging on the Forum. Walking along the main drag, you can identify buildings from the Republic and the Empire by their level. Over the centuries, Ostia’s ground level rose, and the road was elevated. Anything you walk down into is BC.
The Forum Baths, a huge, government-subsidized complex, were the city’s social nerve centre. Fine marble steps — great for lounging — led to the pools. People used olive oil rather than soap to wash, so the water needed to be periodically skimmed by servants. From the viewpoint overlooking the Baths of Neptune you can see a fine mosaic of Neptune riding four horses through roller-coaster waves.
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