The Decumanus Maximus is the main street in the east half of Ostia. It runs from east to west, starting at the Roman Gate. At the west end is the Crossroads of the Castrum, where the road branches in two directions. One branch (also called Decumanus Maximus by the excavators) leads to the Marine Gate, to the south-west. The other branch (Via della Foce) leads to the north-west, to the Tiber mouth.
Along the north side of the eastern half are a number of travertine inscriptions, the so-called Cippi of Caninius. These were erected between 150 and 80 BC by a praetor named Caninius. The texts inform us that the land between the Tiber and the eastern half of the Decumanus was public property. Presumably it was destined for commercial purposes related to the river harbour, such as the storage of goods. All texts are identical:
C(aius) CANINIVS
C(ai) F(ilius) PR(aetor) VRB(anus)
DE SEN(atus) SENT(entia)
POPLIC(um) IOVDIC(avit)Caius Caninius,
son of Gaius, Urban Praetor,
by decision of the senate,
judged (this area to be) public property.To the south of the Great Warehouse (II,IX,7) is the westernmost inscription. Next to this one another cippus was placed later, indicating that the western stretch of the public area had become private property:
[pri]VATVM
[a]D TIBERIM
VSQUE AD
AQVAMPrivate area,
to the Tiber,
up to the
water.A few wheel-ruts can be seen between the Roman Gate and the theatre, the only wheel-ruts in Ostia. This indicates that further transport of goods in Ostia was done by porters or pack-animals, not wagons.
In the early Middle Ages (sixth or seventh century) two large wells were built in the middle of the street. They were found in 1909. Both were made of bricks and marble fragments. One is opposite the Baths of Neptune (II,IV,2), the other one was found a bit to the east. The latter well has now disappeared. In this period the road was obviously no longer used by wagons.
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