This Sunday, some friends and I took a day trip to Ostia - an ancient seaport, the largest archeological site in Rome, and ever so conveniently located just a 1 Euro train-ride away from my apartment. I think that one of the best things about Italy is that while there is a deep respect for art and ancient culture, there is none of the American security measures in place. While we were at first hesitant to leave the pathway at Ostia and enter the actual ruin buildings, it turns out our worry was for naught. As you'll see, Ostia turned into our ancient playground, and despite some drizzly weather, it was a fantastic way to spend a day.
Even in ruins, Ostia was amazingly beautiful. Most buildings were eye-level or less (with few notable exceptions), but every now and then, there would be a hidden piece of art-treasure. Such as this decorative checked wall pattern. The use of stone was so creative and there was many many variations on how to manipulate black and white patterns to make pretty designs.
I took lots of pictures at Ostia, and even though I don't know the significance of a lot of the things I saw, they're still really pretty! And I'm just amazed at how well-preserved some things were. Ostia was built around 100 BC, so the things we were walking in, around, and on had seen more than 2000 years of history!
My friend, Kailyn, said that part of Ostia was a large-scale burial ground, and this is a picture of where they would put some of the deceased remains. Later on during our wanderings, we saw many things that we couldn't figure out: we thought they were either water troughs, bathtubs, or coffins. Turns out the last was correct - some of them were so tiny though! I think I would have only fit in one or two that we saw...
An amazingly preserved statue of Athena (her Greek name - I don't know Roman gods as well as Greek). They also had a museum full of statues that were beautiful. There must have been hundreds on display, and each was in near perfect condition (minus chipped-off noses, of course - those never manage to make it). Unfortunately, we weren't able to take pictures in the museum. It was pretty much the only rule they had in place for us at Ostia.
Okay okay, I'm a ham. But I am trying to demonstrate something important here. My friend read that these white corner stones were used so that carts driving at night wouldn't crash into buildings. (I'm driving a cart - I guess I didn't see the white stone in time.)
This is where we ate lunch. There were ancient stairs up to this little platform overlooking a bath house. It was pure bliss to eat lunch on a rooftop that may have been used for the very purpose of eating meals 2,000 years ago. Below are two pictures of what we could see from our lunch vantage-point:
The mosaics were SO amazing. (A more detailed picture later.) This was probably the largest one that was uncovered. Some of the biggest were covered by tarps and sand bags to prevent decay, which was a shame, but we still got to see some really great ones.
Of course, no city from Rome is complete without a theatre! We had a lot of fun climbing up the steps, acting out scenes on the stage foundations, and goofing around. You can see our antics below:
The second image was taken on the stairs of the amphitheater, and we are posing for a 90's girl band album cover. Our band name? The Romanettes.
This was the view from the top of the amphitheater. You can see the forum: what remains of a temple, statues, and columns from the back of the stage. You can also see the boy and girl scouts that were having a day trip at Ostia. Once we saw a group of boys kicking a marble tombstone, we knew that climbing on things at Ostia was a-okay (I love Italy).
We saw a carving that depicted Romuls and Remus, the two brothers of Rome, with their wolf mommy. It was a cool carving to look at, because I knew the story and could understand all of the pictures.
These are pictures of the mosaics that lined the forum. They were apparently rooms for athletes and performers from Ostia, and each little room had a mosaic for its floor. Some of them were SO intricate and so well preserved. Even though I've seen pictures of Roman mosaics before, when you see them in person it makes it much more apparent as to how much work went into each one. Every single stone was designed, cut, and places specifically to the mosaic was going going into. I feel like city art like that doesn't exist anymore, which makes it allthemore special that I get to see things like it everyday.
This is a shot that shows a little glimpse of what Ostia looks like. It was literally so huge that we didn't have time to explore it all. Literally a city of ruins, Ostia was incredible. Even though visitors are able to wander anywhere they'd like, I was touched by how honest people were. There was a crumbling mosaic with loose stones on the ground. I know that in America, those stones would have been taken for souvenirs faster than you could say Caesar.
I think it's because of this honesty and integrity that the ruins of Ostia have lasted so long. There's this inherent respect for something so old and majestic, and when buildings taller than my home in San Diego have remained standing for thousands of years, it's inspiring.
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