Osita Antica Research Paper

Ostia Antica
Osita Antica is a historical architectural site referred to as one of Rome’s first colonies and as the seaport of ancient Rome. “Ostia” in Latin means, “mouth”, and Ostia Antica was originally located at the mouth of the Tiber River on the Mediterranean Coast. It served as a prime location for trade and communication with the outside culture and world through its accessibility of the Tiber and the Mediterranean. Initially constructed for military purposes of defense, it quickly transformed into a commercial center with a dense domestic population. Ostia responded to this growth with expansion of apartments, cafes, hotels, public baths and latrines, a temple, theatre and numerous stores and offices that lined the city and the piazza.
One inscription claims that Ancus Marcius, the fourth king of Rome, found Ostia around the 7th century BC. However, the oldest evidence found on-site only dates back to the 4th century BC. As soon as the city and the port that defined it became prosperous, the population grew along with it. Economically, Ostia was an important source of the distribution of goods because of its proximity to the outside world. “At this time, Rome practically imported everything from abroad. This led to an extensive system of distribution, which relied, for its existence, on the regular importation of sufficient supplies. (Ostia) Ostia became imperative, for this reason, to serve as a method of supplying food and other crucial goods to whole of the Roman populace; which was near 1 million
Aside from the Baths of Neptune, there were a total of eighteen baths in Ostia. The baths were elaborately decorated with mosaics of stone and tile found throughout the flooring. The colors of black and white were utilized to create these mosaics with images, pictures and geometric shapes. With the Baths of Neptune in particular, the tiles and stone were decorated with large sea creatures and gods of the sea. The baths were comprised of three main rooms: the tempidarum, caldanum and the frigidarium. Besides their architectural design and obvious purpose, these baths also functioned as an outlet for social gatherings. It allowed citizens to engage in political discussions, competitive sports and hear the latest news. The insule refers to the apartment complexes constructed throughout the colony. The House of Diana, built in the 2nd century, is an example of the design. The buildings were four to five stories high and oftentimes stores were found on the first floor of the structure. Stairs leading to the apartments above were found in-between the stores that lined the street. The individual apartments could have as many as 12 rooms but did not have any indoor