Goths and Vandals

In 410 AD Alaric, king of the Visigoths, sacked Rome. In 409 AD he captured Portus, as recounted by Zosimus and Philostorgius, but apparently ignored Ostia. In 455 AD Gaeseric, king of the Vandals and Alans, sacked Portus. This has been deduced from an inscription that was found on the Isola Sacra. It informs us that the Vandals burned a church of a martyr, perhaps the basilica of Saint Hippolytus. Petrus, bishop of Portus, restored the church. Perhaps the Vandals also plundered Ostia.

✝ VANDALICA RABIES HANC VSSIT MARTYRIS AVLAM QVAM PETRVS ANTISTES CVLTV MELIORE NOVATA(m)	✝ The fury of the Vandals burned down this hall of a martyr, which bishop Petrus renovated with greater refinement.
Lost inscription found on the Isola Sacra. CIL XIV Suppl., p. 743; EDCS-42600206.

The Basilica of Hippolytus on the Isola Sacra. Photo: Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica.

In the later fifth and sixth century sporadic building activities are documented in and around Ostia. In the second half of the fifth century the Small Baths were erected on Via della Foce, to the west of the Baths of Mithras. It measures only 24 x 16 metres. As we have seen, bishop Bellator carried out some work in the Basilica of the Pianabella at the end of the century. For the years 493-526 AD brick stamps testify to activity in the Baths of the Marine Gate, near the sea. A few walls in a building opposite the House of Annius and in the House of the Fortuna Annonaria have been dated to the sixth century. Also in the sixth century a tiny Church of Cyriacus was built in front of the theatre, at a very high level. It features in the Acts of the Saints in 1162 AD:

Mane autem facto, cum idem Andreas pergeret ex more cum alio ad ecclesiam S. Cyriaci extra villam, ut Missam dicerent, non sentiens dolorem in tibia sicut consueverat, substitit: et demissa caliga, tibiam omnino sanam invenit.	Early in the morning, when that same Andreas, as usual, walked with someone else to the church of Saint Cyriacus outside the village to hold Mass, not feeling the usual pain in his shin-bone, took off his boot and discovered that his shin-bone had healed completely.
Fragment from the transfer of the relics of Monica by Waltherus, canon of Arrouaise (1162 AD). Acta Sanctorum, May I, p. 484-485, 9.

The remains of the Church of Cyriacus (in front of the columns). In the background is the theatre before it was restored.
Photo: Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica.

A late well in the middle of the Decumanus. To the right the Baths of Neptune, in the background the theatre.
Below the metal grate a main water pipe can be seen. Photo: Wikimedia, Lalupa.

In 1910 half a consular diptych was found in a drain near the museum. It celebrates some event in the career of a senator, depicted as a togatus standing in an aedicula. Above him is the inscription C(aio) L(ibio) Severo patrono, so we are dealing with the western Emperor from 461-465 AD. Below him are the letters MODES, which either stand for the name of the dedicator, Modestus or Modestinus, or is the abbreviation m(agistro) o(fficiorum) des(ignato), "to the designated Master of Offices". How it ended up in that drain would make a good subject for a detective novel.

Ivory diptychon from Ostia. H. 0.23, w. 0.11.
440-465 AD. Photo: ICCD E027328.

It is remarkable how wealthy Romans clung to cultural standards in difficult times. Their achievements in art and law almost feel like a virtual handshake between them and Petrarca, who in the 14th century was on the hunt for ancient manuscripts. How the harbours fared economically in these centuries will become clear to the enviable future archaeologists who, one day, will bring all of Portus to light. In his "Gothic Wars" Procopius describes how in 537 Vitigis, king of the Ostrogoths, laid siege to Portus. The Roman general Flavius Belisarius defended Portus, but also Ostia, that now had to be used as harbour again because Portus was held by the Goths.

Vittigis, seeing that the enemy were enjoying a large degree of freedom, not only in taking out of Rome whatever they wished, but also in bringing in provisions both by land and by sea, decided to seize the harbour, which the Romans call "Portus". This harbour is distant from the city one hundred and twenty-six stades; for Rome lacks only so much of being on the sea; and it is situated where the Tiber river has its mouth. Now as the Tiber flows down from Rome, and reaches a point rather near the sea, about fifteen stades from it, the stream divides into two parts and makes there the Sacred Island, as it is called. As the river flows on the island becomes wider, so that the measure of its breadth corresponds to its length, for the two streams have between them a distance of fifteen stades; and the Tiber remains navigable on both sides. Now the portion of the river on the right empties into the harbour, and beyond the mouth the Romans in ancient times built on the shore a city, which is surrounded by an exceedingly strong wall; and it is called, like the harbour, "Portus". But on the left at the point where the other part of the Tiber empties into the sea is situated the city of Ostia, lying beyond the place where the river-bank ends, a place of great consequence in olden times, but now entirely without walls. Moreover, the Romans at the very beginning made a road leading from Portus to Rome, which was smooth and presented no dificulty of any kind. And many barges are always anchored in the harbour ready for service, and no small number of oxen stand in readiness close by. Now when the merchants reach the harbour with their ships, they unload their cargoes and place them in the barges, and sail by way of the Tiber to Rome; but they do not use sails or oars at all, for the boats cannot be propelled in the stream by any wind since the river winds about exceedingly and does not follow a straight course, nor can oars be employed, either, since the force of the current is always against them. Instead of using such means, therefore, they fasten ropes from the barges to the necks of oxen, and so draw them just like waggons up to Rome. But on the other side of the river, as one goes from the city of Ostia to Rome, the road is shut in by woods and in general lies neglected, and it is not even near the bank of the Tiber, since there is no towing of barges on that road. So the Goths, finding the city at the harbour unguarded, captured it at the first onset and slew many of the Romans who lived there, and so took possession of the harbour as well as the city. And they established a thousand of their number there as guards, while the remainder returned to the camps. In consequence of this move it was impossible for the besieged to bring in the goods which came by sea, except by way of Ostia, a route which naturally involved great labour and danger besides. For the Roman ships were not even able to put in there any longer, but they anchored at Anthium, a day's journey distant from Ostia. It was dangerous to travel over a rather narrow road with the waggons, and impossible to tow the barges on the river, as had formerly been the custom. For the road which is on the left of the river was held by the enemy, as stated by me in the previous narrative, and not available for the use of the Romans at that time, while the road on the other side of it is altogether unused, at least that part of it which follows the river-bank. They therefore selected the small boats belonging to the larger ships, put a fence of high planks around them on all sides, in order that the men on board might not be exposed to the enemy's shots, and embarked archers and sailors on them in numbers suitable for each boat. And after they had loaded the boats with all the freight they could carry, they waited for a favouring wind and set sail toward Rome by the Tiber, and a portion of the army followed them along the right bank of the river to support them. But they left a large number of Isaurians to guard the ships. Now where the course of the river was straight, they found no trouble in sailing, simply raising the sails of the boats; but where the stream wound about and took a course athwart the wind, and the sails received no impulse from it, the sailors had no slight toil in rowing and forcing the boats against the current.

Procopius, De Bello Gothico V,XXVI,3-17 and VI,VII,5-6 and 9. Translation H.B. Dewing.

Sunrise in Ostia Antica. Photo: Parco Archeologico di Ostia.