July 10 - Ostia Antica

 July 10 - Ostia Antica

Today we headed out of Rome back near the coast / airport to Ostia Antica. Here, they have uncovered the ruins of an ancient city, dating back to 300 BCE. It used to be a major port city way back when Rome was at its peak, starting out as a military outpost in the 4th century BCE to protect the Tiber River’s mouth (“ostium” means mouth in Latin). Over time, it grew into a major trade hub, with shops, baths, temples, apartments, fast-food-style taverns, and sophisticated toilets (Grant’s favorite part). 

At its height, around 50,000 people lived here. Walking around, you can totally picture what daily Roman life looked like. You can walk down ancient streets, see gorgeous mosaics, and sit in the old theater - where they still hold concerts today! My favorite part was the main square. It was here that I could most picture people from 2000 + years ago meeting up, walking around, and living. 

Eventually, Ostia was slowly abandoned. But because it wasn’t buried by lava or destroyed in war, much of it is still standing. I hear it has a very similar feel to Pompeii, but without the crowds. It was neat to be able to physically walk through the ruins of the old businesses, houses, and bathhouses - and, as I mentioned before, it had one of the best preserved public toilets! 

Toilets were public - and there were several in a line. Underneath the toilets ran water to take waste away. And toilets were equipped with sponges attached to sticks, which they dipped in water or vinegar to clean themselves. These were shared, but still, the hygiene practices far exceeded the dark ages / Middle Ages / medieval times. 

I was also quite intrigued with the Roman baths, which was a daily, or almost daily, habit for most Romans in cities. They started out by storing their belongings being watched over by attendants (usually slaves 😔). Then they would exercise. Next, they went into a warm room, followed by a hot room - again the technology that existed to create these rooms with different temperatures was incredibly sophisticated. In these rooms, they covered their body with olive oil. Then after sweating, they would scrape away the olive oil and dirt. Finally, they would go into the cold room, often with a cold plunge, to close the pores. This was both a social and a hygienic activity, and I’m all for it. 

What struck me the most as I walked through here was how much the ancient Roman’s really had it going on. Their plumbing systems were so advanced, as were their city planning, guild structures, and construction. The fall of Rome was truly devastating for humanity as we took a major set back on innovation through the dark ages and medieval times. It’s depressing to think how advanced society might be today had we not had that 1000 year set back. 

We ate lunch prior to entering Ostia at a seafood restaurant that had been around since the late 1800s. The food was delicious. We got a fast food dinner because we were all pretty tired. It was a Roman fast food place that served stews or fillings inside thick bread pockets. Sort of like a calzone cut in half. 

From Katelyn:

At Ostia Antica, I saw lots of cool things. There was a huge amphitheater that is still used today. There were also some ancient toilets-dad was very excited about those. There was also this cool spot that showed ancient traders, fishers, etc, with mosaic pictures on the ground showing what they sold. 

From Geoffrey:

I really liked seeing just how big the city was. Learning facts from signs and ChatGPT helped me to understand how the city ran almost 2000 years ago. My favorite part of all was exploring all through the streets and through the inside of the houses. At times there were so many houses it felt like a maze.