THE BEGINNING OF THE ROAD: OSTIA

On these pages we will follow the first part of the road from Ostia to Anzio-Nettuno. The road to Antium, the next large harbour to the south of Ostia, started at the south end of Ostia, very close to the beach. The shore of the Mediterranean sea was regarded as especially attractive by the Romans. Ancient authors tell stories about pagan and Christian philosophers walking on the beach and debating, watching little boats and playing children. Here the Emperors Hadrian and Antoninus Pius constructed the Baths of the Marine Gate (IV,X,1-2), decorated with many sculptures. At the end of the fourth century the Building with Opus Sectile (III,VII,8) was erected with spectacular marble wall decoration that can now be seen in the Museo dell'Alto Medioevo in Rome. In the area is also a very old Synagogue (IV,XVII,1), raising questions not only about the Jewish community, but also about early Christianity and the (disputed) departure of Paul from Ostia to Spain. Geophysical research and a photo in Bing Maps have revealed the plan of a very large and luxurious suburban villa, with a long colonnade facing the sea.

It is in this area that extensive remains of the road were excavated in 1978 and 1979 by Carlo Pavolini, known to many visitors of Ostia for his excellent and indispensable archeological guide of the site. The road was paved with basalt blocks, four metres wide, and flanked by a sidewalk on the south side. The finds made in the foundation of the road show that it was built around 200 AD, in the "Severan period": during the reign of Septimius Severus and his son Caracalla. Traces of an older road were not found on this spot. The road began at the south-east corner of the Baths of the Marine Gate (Terme di Porta Marina). Pavolini suspects that these baths were intended primarily for travellers, not for the inhabitants. A continuation of the road to the west was not possible, because that area was built over. Towards the east the road continued along the north side of the Synagogue with a slight curve.

The road to the north of the Synagogue. Image: Pavolini 1980, fig. 1.

Due to the depostion of sediments transported by the Tiber, the shoreline has moved several kilometres seaward since antiquity, to modern Lido di Ostia. Visitors of Ostia therefore will not hear or see the Mediterranean sea. In this area the modern Via Guido Calza (named after one of Ostia's main excavators from the past) is just a bit to the north of the ancient shoreline. The Severan road rested on massive, older reinforcements, a protection against the sea. Apparently such protection was no longer needed in the Severan period. The Synagogue was the only building to the south of this stretch of the road. On the other side of the road were the Baths of Musiciolus (IV,XV,2), where beautiful, polychrome mosaics were found that have unfortunately been stolen.

Looking towards the Synagogue. Photo: D'Andrea et al. 2018, fig. 13.

Walking on the road towards the Synagogue, and then through the building.
Movie by Ariel Segal.