Ostia Antica by Janine Reeves

Last Friday I joined a group of Architectural students with their Professor to spend a day at Ostia Antica. I was very excited about going on this trip as I'd never been before.

Ostia Antica is a huge site which used to be the busy working harbour city of ancient Rome. It was founded in 4th Century BC it became a great port town and later a strategic centre for defence and trade. Barbarian invasions and the outbreak of malaria led to the abandonment of the city in the 5th century AD.  It was slowly buried under many feet of river silt, up to 2nd floor level.

There were 20 baths at one time in this city.  The population was quite large and there were probably travellers passing through.  Hot baths, medium and cold, used in order to open up the pores of the skin to release dirt - then gradually close them up (no soap).  I hadn't realised that the walls were all heated too.  Pipes remain and you can see them inbetween the brick of the wall and the marble.  Many slaves were needed behind the scene's to keep the fires going to heat the water while those above relaxed in the warmth and used the baths as a social meeting and commercial centre to do business. 

The beautiful mosaics which remain are stunning.  The splendor of the city is really easy to visualise as you walk through the streets.  Doorways, shops, the baths, temples, a theatre, columns, you can even explore some of the apartments which open onto a courtyards of gardens, each replicating the other, not so different from today.

My favourite buildings included the bar (complete with fresco of menu, bar, garden with fountain and mosaic flooring.  Fabulous, just empty of contents, what a shame!) and a beautiful villa with marble walls and fountains, and coloured mosaic flooring which I will definitely go back and paint, and the very necessary toilet areas.

Of course I had to ask - were these toilets segregated, apparently some were and some were not. I used the moment to have a rest and use (not literally) the facilities. Very comfortable - a smaller hole for sitting on, and an interesting trough on front of your feet - No, not for gentlemen to use but to bend down and use the running water in the trough, to wet your sponge to wipe your intimate areas (no toilet paper in those days).

This really is a wonderful site, and yet probably nearly half of it has still not been excavated.  This city built of brick has very unusual intricate patterning which may indicate that the bricks would have been left exposed rather than covered over. 

It was a cold, drizzly day with a wind that ate into you but I was in my element.  I loved the trip and my whole being felt as if I was there back in time.  I really felt the elegant splendor of the city and the buzz of the trades people as they went about their daily business.  The beauty, stature, administration and organisation of the Romans, they integrated all types of people and religion into their culture are elements that we can perhaps only wonder at now, as we continue struggle with racial tensions and religious conflict in our own culture.