In Need of a Protection Racket?
Ostia Antica is like any other town – it has streets, shops, houses. Even a theatre and a fire station. The crucial difference is that no one has lived here for almost two millennia. Many of the buildings have lost their roofs, and protection from the elements is minimal – which means there is little to halt the gradual process of dilapidation that has been going on in Ostia for many centuries. Two-thousand-year old mosaics are exposed to the elements while the ruins of ancient shops and cellars are at risk of flooding. It’s true that Italy – and Rome in particular – is inundated with valuable ruins. Some monuments that, if they were found elsewhere, would be housed in their own climate-controlled double-glazed case and have their own explanation on a nearby placard, are left to fend for themselves in Italy. Special attention is reserved for the main tourist attractions. Other heritage sites must take their chances with the rest of us.
This is understandable, but Italy is facing a serious problem when it comes to preserving some of its most valuable heritage. The winter of 2008-2009 saw heavy rainfall and flooding – potentially putting mosaics and structures such as those at Ostia Antica at risk. According to a website providing news and information for students and archaeologists on Ostia Antica, the government has reported an emergency situation. It has approved 37 million euros in funding to restore monuments and has also gone so far as to appoint a special commissioner – Guido Bertolaso – to oversee the spending of this sum.
The Baths of Neptune
So what are the main objects that are potentially at risk of damage from the elements at Ostia Antica? Its mosaics are the first thing that spring to mind. Covering large expanses of ground, they are vivid depictions in striking black and white of gods, religious rituals and everyday life during Roman times. The main mosaics are near the main entrance of the site. The area of the Baths of Neptune are visible from an elevated wooden terrace – this gives the best views of the black and white mosaics depicting the sea god on a chariot and his wife Amphitrite riding a hippo, with various other sea creatures and monsters, including dolphins, tritons and Scylla. These baths were created during the rule of Hadrian (117-138 AD) and Antoninus Pius (138-161 AD) and were built on the foundations of pre-existing thermal baths. The complex was built specifically to fit in with the town’s street plan. It comprises a frigidarium for cold baths, two tepidaria and two calidaria, as well as latrines and changing rooms.
These baths are thought to have been among the largest and best-equipped in ancient Ostia. They were built at a time when baths were essential to Roman living. There were as many as 20 bathing establishments in Ostia in the second century AD – facilitated by the supply of water through aqueducts as well as ground water. A heating system around the perimeter of the building pumped hot air into the air cavities under the floors. This is in stark contrast to the living conditions of ordinary people, who would not have had running water in their homes. In fact, the baths provided essential amenities for the public. They were also a centre for sports, socialising and therapeutic treatments such as massages.
Sacrifice of the Bulls
Behind the Baths of Neptune there is another area of black and white mosaics. These depict the slaughter and sacrifice of bulls. The mosaics formed part of the chapel and courtyard dedicated to the cult of the emperors, which was part of the living quarters of Ostia’s 300 or so fire guards, or vigiles. These men came from Rome and were seconded to Ostia for three-month periods.
Their duty was to tackle any fire, as well as to patrol the city and ensure that safety precautions were being taken.
Square of the Guilds
There is an amphitheatre a little further down the Decumanus Maximus, Ostia Antica’s main road. This is where Christian martyrs were executed in 269 AD. The theatre could hold up to 4,000 spectators and was originally built by Agrippa during the reign of Augustus. Behind the theatre is a large public square, surrounded on three sides by covered walkways and adjacent rooms. These were meeting rooms for Roman traders, captains of ships and foreign merchants, who congregated here to negotiate and network. The flooring of the guild building is covered in mosaics – again in black and white – depicting ships, dolphins and other symbols relating to the sea-faring nature of the trade done at Ostia. One of the main commodities imported to Rome was grain – and Africa was an important supplier. Inscriptions in the mosaic flooring indicate the various Mediterranean ports that traded with Ostia, some in Tunisia. Graffiti found in the guild was written in Greek as well as in Roman, suggesting that Ostia was a city where many languages and cultures mingled.
Group Activities
Other areas of interest in the ancient city include the Curia, temples dedicated to various cults, including that of Augustus, a great number of public baths including the Baths of Mithras and the Forum Baths, as well as shops such as the House of the Fishmongers. One of the best preserved rooms lies within the Forum Baths complex – the public latrines. It is an intriguing and puzzling remnant from the Roman past and possibly one of the strongest indicators of the cultural differences between Ancient Romans and us (possibly even more of a difference than their rituals of animal sacrifice and baptisms in blood?). The room is skirted by marble slabs containing 22 latrine holes. A water channel is laid in the floor of the room – this clean water would be used to soak strips of cloth wound around a stick and would be used for personal cleaning. Hygienic or not, latrines were certainly sociable in ancient Rome.
The Problems of Preservation
Over the years the ruins at Ostia Antica have undergone various phases of repair and restoration – both in modern times and during the period of the Roman Empire. Parts of buildings have been reconstructed by modern restorers and for the most part they have done an excellent job. In some instances mosaics have suffered though. For example, in the Roman era, repairs to the underground heating system in the Baths of Neptune meant that parts of the Neptune mosaics were taken up, and the pieces replaced without any attempt to replicate the images on the floor. Twentieth century restoration projects have also caused some blemishes to the mosaics. More recent techniques have sought to recreate original building materials and methods, and have also focused on protection technology to prevent intrusion and to provide coverage. They are now periodically protected with waterproof sheets. We can only hope that Italy’s special commissioner for protecting its heritage will spend the allotted funds wisely and that the mosaics and ruins of Ostia Antica will be preserved for future generations.
