The Lares and Genius in Ostia

Remains of Pompeian-type lararia are rare in Ostia. That does not mean they were never there. There were Pompeian-style houses in Ostia, but these were replaced from the Trajanic period onwards by commercial buildings, guild-seats and high-rising tenements. The city is not preserved as well as Pompeii. And many household shrines may have been removed in the fourth and fifth century, when Christianity was the dominating religion.

A lararium-painting from the middle of the second century was reused a century later in the Mithraeum of the Snakes. In a corner of the back part of the shrine a Genius holding a horn of plenty is standing between two enormous snakes, one "female", the other with a comb, so "male". The painting may have been incorporated into the mithraeum because snakes appear on Mithraic sculpture as symbol of the earth. The function of the building to which the painting belonged is not clear due to extensive modifications, including the installation of a lime-kiln.

The lararium-painting in the Mithraeum of the Serpents.
Photo: Klaus Heese.

The lararium-painting in the Mithraeum of the Serpents: detail of a snake and the Genius.
Photo: Jan Theo Bakker.

The lararium-painting in the Mithraeum of the Serpents: detail of the Genius.
Photo: Parco Archeologico di Ostia.

A painting of a Genius between two snakes was found at an unknown location.

Painting of a Genius and snakes.
Inv. nr. 10106. Photo: DAI 37.1485.

A few statuettes of Lares have been found in Ostia, all but one made of bronze. Two are in the Vatican, in the Museo Gregoriano Profano. One is in Geneva, in the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire. Three more statuettes are still in Ostia. One emerged in the House on the Decumanus (III,II,3), another in the House of the Millstones (I,III,1), yet another (made of marble) in the Shrine of Silvanus (I,III,2).

Lar in the Vatican, in the Museo Gregoriano Profano. Photo: Arachne.	Lar in the Vatican, in the Museo Gregoriano Profano. Photo: Arachne.
Lar in the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire, Geneva. Photo: Musée d'Art et d'Histoire.	Lar from the House on the Decumanus. Photos: DAI.
Lar from the House of the Millstones (I,III,1). Photo: Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica.	Marble Lar from the Shrine of Silvanus (I,III,2). Photo: Arachne.

The statuette from the House of the Millstones has an inlay of silver laurel branches in the base, which means that we are looking at one of the Lares Augusti, household deities of the Emperor. The Lar was found in 1915 together with other statuettes that had tumbled down from one of the upper floors when the building was destroyed by fire, at the end of the third century. Some more statuettes, found in 1870, might belong to the same shrine. Taken together we would then have Aesculapius, Apollo, the Dioscures, Hercules, Jupiter-Serapis, Mars, Mercurius, and Minerva. A tiny bronze octagonal column with base and capital may have formed part of an aedicula containing the statuettes. There must have been an apartment on the upper floors with wealthy inhabitants.

Statuettes of Lares do not necessarily come from houses or rented apartments. An inscription from 205 AD documents the cultores Larum et imaginum dominorum nostrorum invictissimorum Augustorum praediorum Rusticelianorum, "worshippers of the Lares and images of our most invincible August lords, of the Rusticelian estate". The inscription mentions a special place that was used for their religious festivities. Another inscription records the dedication to Jupiter Optimus Maximus of ten silver Lares. Perhaps these were placed in the House of the Triclinia (I,XII,1), the guild-seat of the builders, where the inscription was found.

A marble statuette of a Genius was unearthed in the House of the Porch (V,II,4-5).

Marble statuette of a Genius with snake and cornucopiae.
Found in the House of the Porch.
Photo: Archivio Fotografico Ostia neg. C1595.

In the Small Market (I,VIII,1) a marble relief was found of two snakes, Genii Loci, on either side of an altar. The left one is "female", the right one, with comb and beard, "male". The relief does not necessarily belong to the building, various objects were dumped in it in late antiquity.

Marble relief with two snakes, found in the Small Market.
Photo: American Academy Rome.

A marble altar with the inscription GENIO LOCI was found in 1878 near the Roman Gate.

The altar dedicated to the Genius Loci.
W. 0.54, h. 1.025, d. 0.51. EDR147061. Photo: Klaus Heese.

In this topic we will make a tour along the evidence for private religion that can today be seen in the city, on and in the walls. Much of the evidence is easily overlooked, but can be identified with confidence. Still, in the city dozens of small holes can be found which may once have been niches with a statuette of a deity, but may also be, for example, accidental damage or the place of attachment of a cupboard. The function remains uncertain if there is no special frame and if no plaster can be seen in the hole.