Ostia Antica — a great day trip, and the site of my childhood nap

That’s me as a little kid in the picture above. The photo made its way home to me thanks to my friends at the American University of Rome, an institution that my family has long had ties to.  Forgive me for lying on an ancient Roman altar — I was probably only five or so at the time.  Umbrella pines and the remains of a wall are in the background.

More details seen here

I couldn’t make out where the photo had been taken, but amazingly the internet helped solve the mystery.  My wife Laura suggested we just search for the words we could make out on the altar: “Deo Invicto Herculi Hostilius ….”  And, lo and behold, the full text of the inscription appeared,

DEO
INVICTO HERCVLI
HOSTILIVS ANTIPATER
V(ir) P(erfectissimus) PRAEF(ectus) ANN(onae)
CVRAT(or) REI PVBLIC(ae) OST(iensium)

As you can figure out from the last word, “Ostiensium,” the altar is in what we today call Ostia Antica, one of my favorite easy jaunts from the apartment.  And, as you may have deduced, it is an altar dedicated to the demi-god Hercules. The entire translation, noted in a scholarly article, is, “Ostilius Antipater, vir perfectissimus, prefect of the grain-supply and curator of the town of Ostia [erected this altar] for Hercules, the Unconquered God.”  The altar stood at the Temple of Hercules, in the heart of Ostia, once a critical port for Rome.

Ostia Antica is an ancient city frozen in time. It’s close enough to Rome’s historic center to make for a perfect half or full-day trip — perfect if you’re looking for something like Pompeii but don’t have the time for that day-trip.

And, it could not be easier to get to Ostia.  Take the Metro to Piramide, where you change to the commuter rail — all on the same 1.50 euro ticket.  It’s maybe a 30 minute ride on the commuter rail, then a short walk to the archaeological park.  It’s just 10 euros to enter — and absolutely free on the first Sunday of the month!

Ostia is a large archaeological site with many things to see.  The surrounding beautiful trees offer some nice shady areas perfect for a picnic. There’s also a small, serviceable cafeteria.  Here are some photos from my last trip there.

A glimpse of how an ancient Roman city was once decorated with statues

 

Ostia Antica — homes, shops, temples and roads, and an ancient synagogue(!), all preserved, amongst beautiful trees

 

Walking the ancient roads, at Ostia Antica

 

The theater at Ostia Antica

 

Reconstructed doorway at Ostia Antica

 

Theatrical masks at Ostia Antica

 

Gigantic, underground food preservation jars

 

And, one of the highlights of any trip to Ostia Antica — the communal latrines!

More photos, on the wonderful black and white mosaics of Ostia Antica, in my next blog post.

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Published by spanishstepsapartment

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In the heart of Rome's Historic Center, between the beautiful Spanish Steps and the famous Trevi Fountain, this luxury two bedroom, two bathroom apartment is surrounded by fine dining and fabulous shopping. It is within walking distance of the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and many other historic sites and museums, and near the subway, taxi stands, bus stops, and bike rental. Located in a traditional Roman palazzo, the apartment was fully renovated in late 2010 and is now available for vacation and short-term rental.