Arrival in the harbour
One of the most famous reliefs from Ostia-Portus shows the interior of a bar. Two customers, a woman and a man, are sitting at a table. One is drinking from a cup, a barmaid brings a cup to the other. To the left of the barmaid is the bar counter, with a small water basin with a curved top, precisely what can be seen in several bars in Ostia. Above the counter are shelves with long rows of vessels. The bar must be situated in the harbour. A simple harbour scene is depicted to the left of the bar. A cargo ship and a rowing boat are approaching the lighthouse of Claudius.
Sarcophagus from tomb 90. Photo: ICCD E069953.Because these two scenes are usually reproduced as details and as examples of daily life and shipping, many people may not realize that they are on the front of a sarcophagus. It was found in tomb 90 of the Isola Sacra necropolis. According to Guido Calza the hairstyle of the barmaid follows that of Salonina, wife of the Emperor Gallienus, which takes us to the third quarter of the third century.
General view of tomb 90 with the sarcophagus in situ. Photo: ICCD E041038.What motivated the client of the sculptors to order such a realistic scene? The answer for the harbour scene can be found in the necropolis itself. In front of one of the tombs is a mosaic of two ships and the lighthouse with the Greek text: "Here sorrow ends". A lighthouse can also be seen on several sarcophagi from later antiquity. Only those who have been on a sailing ship in bad weather can fully appreciate the importance of a lighthouse for sailors. The feelings of relief and joy after experiencing dangers and anguish have here been transferred to the happy afterlife.
Mosaic from the Isola Sacra necropolis. Photo: Parco Archeologico di Ostia.
Left half of the relief. Photo: Flickr, Dan Diffendale.The joy is represented by the bar scene. To the right is a budding flower. A dog, man's best friend, welcomes the customers. On the left end of the bar counter is a dolphin, another friend of man, said to rescue sailors from drowning.
Right half of the relief. Photo: Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica.
