Picturing Ostia Antica

The city of Ostia Antica was once a thriving and largely populated city located right outside of Rome. Its prime location at the mouth of the Tiber River made it a seaport city, granting it power and control over the use of the river, placing it above most cities.

A visitor to the Ostia Antica excavation site may just see an ancient city with no life and only uncovered buildings and structures. Without hearing the history behind the city and a vivid description of how the city once appeared and operated, a visit here would be as valuable as traveling around Rome with your eyes closed.

Dr. Corrado, the history professor in the Rome program, brought us to each structure and vividly described the purpose and appearance it once had. We had a three-hour tour of using our imaginations to recreate this abandoned city and have it come to life once again.

My dad standing at a "fast food" counter

I pictured myself walking down the wide main road made of large stones embedded into the ground, causing everyone to carefully look down while walking to avoid a spill of any sorts.The brick buildings, while not in their entirety, were at one point tall and complete. I pictured what a home would look like, a square structure made of brick located on a road with other homes.

As we entered the forum, the city center, I completed the church's structure and connected the piazza together, imagining people of the time walking throughout and engaging with each other. The store spaces that lined the streets had windows and counters that resemble what our typical fast food restaurants look like today. Painted and preserved pictures above the counters show a "menu" of what was once sold and consumed at these various establishments.

Menu at a "fast food" stand

The most interesting part of Ostia were the Roman baths. The bath complex was a major element of the city and used by most of its residents. Even in the 7th century B.C., the Romans developed the technology to create heated floors and walls for the various bath rooms. As I sat in the different bath rooms I pictured myself moving from the warm room to the hot room and finally into the cool room and socializing with everyone else that visited the baths daily.

Sitting in the Roman baths

It is amazing how a city founded in the 7th century B.C. is still standing and visited today. I could not believe how Ostia had once resembled how most cities look today. When I left I didn't feel like I saw only a excavated city, but one that is still alive today in every visitor's imagination.