Ostia Antica

Ostia Antica
Market square of Ostia Antica
Ostia Antica is located in Italy
Ostia Antica
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LocationOstia, Lazio, Italy
Coordinates41°45′21″N 12°17′30″E / 41.75583°N 12.29167°E / 41.75583; 12.29167
TypeSettlement
Area150 hectares (1.5 km2)[1]
History
Abandoned9th century AD
CulturesAncient Rome
Site notes
OwnershipPublic
Public accessYes
Websitewww.ostiaantica.beniculturali.it

Ostia Antica (lit.'Ancient Ostia') is an ancient Roman city and the port of Rome located at the mouth of the Tiber. It is near modern Ostia, 25 km (16 mi) southwest of Rome. Due to silting and the invasion of sand,[clarification needed] the site now lies 3 km (2 mi) from the sea.[2] The name Ostia (the plural of ostium) derives from Latin os 'mouth'.

Ostia is now a large archaeological site noted for the excellent preservation of its ancient buildings, magnificent frescoes and impressive mosaics. The city's decline after antiquity led to harbor deterioration, marshy conditions, and reduced population. Sand dunes covering the site aided its preservation. Its remains provide insights into a city of commercial importance. As in Pompeii, Ostia's ruins provide details about Roman urbanism that are not accessible within the city of Rome itself.[3]

  1. ^ "History - Ostia Antica". www.ostiaantica.beniculturali.it. Archived from the original on 13 July 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
  2. ^ Ostia-Introduction http://www.ostia-antica.org/intro.htm Archived 2017-09-03 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Gates, Charles (2011). Ancient cities: the archaeology of urban life in the ancient Near East and Egypt, Greece and Rome (2nd ed.). London [u.a]: Routledge. pp. 367–370. ISBN 978-0-203-83057-4.