It is thought Ostia Antica was founded in about 335 BC as one of the very first Roman colonies. It lay at the mouth of the river Tiber (ostium = Latin: mouth) and so Ostia Antica became the great gateway for the Mediterranean to the city of Rome. It was here that the goods flooding in from the empire arrived in Italy. Most of these goods would be transferred onto barges which would then carry them up the Tiber to docks of Rome, among them of course the famed grain supply from north Africa which the city so much depended on.
Ostia's importance to Rome is shown in the scale of imperial patronage lavished on the town. If emperor Claudius built one harbour, the emperor Trajan built a yet greater one. Meanwhile much of the cities layout stems from emperor Hadrian who commissioned entire districts built.
At its peak Ostia is estimated to have had around 100'000 inhabitants.
In the 2nd century a rival port, Portus, was founded a little to the north. Although Ostia still continued to flourish at first, it was eventually eclipsed by Portus in the 4th century, as trade began to wane and Ostia's harbours started to silt up.

The town's main street - Decumanus Maximus

The Capitolium

The amphitheatre

The approach to the stage of the amphitheatre of Ostia

A great stone tablet at the amphitheatre

Elaborate floor mosaics cover what were once the floors of Roman houses.

More mosaics

Ruins of various houses

Ostia 14.jpg - Misc.

Many to Joel Argersinger for these great pictures !

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