Archaeology Magazine - March 1948 - 37

Spring IQ48
decumanus, about half way between the forum and the
east gate. In the center of this square stood a temple of
Ceres, the goddess who presided over Ostia's chief article
of commerce, graiii. On three of its sides stood a double
portico. Small rooms on its inner side were the stationes

has been walking long distances to his factory or fields,
and he probably often did so in the past. Once settled in
Ostia, a family was iiot likely to move to the Port just
because some of its members found work there. Also
Ostia was the municipal center and possessedthe amenities
of life- a theater, baths, bars- which make life attractive
to everyone. We may take for granted that the substantial businessmen of Ostia lived there, even though their
money was made in a port activity. On a different scale
many of their humbler fellow citizens may have done the
same. This, at least, would explain the existence of their
guild headquarters and chief activities in Ostia.
This does not mean that Ostia was purely a center of
business administration and a living place for men whose
work lay beyond its walls, once the Port had been built.
The great warehouses and magazines of Ostia attest the
city's own commercial activities. One of the best preserved of Ostia's warehouses is that which was owned by
Epagathus and Epaphroditus, two merchants with Greek
names but probably of oriental origin. Let us pay it a
Figure 5. Businessoffices of Ostia placed their signs, in
ONTHEPAVEMENT
IN FRONT
OFTHEIR
THIS visit.
ENTRANCES.
MOSAIC,
ISTHESIGNOFTHESHIPPERS
OFMlSUA,
A CITYONTHEGULFOF
We pass through an elaborate doorway flanked by brick
Carthage.
columns. Above it is a marble plaque inscribed with the
or offices of shipping companies and of guilds connected names of the proprietors. Beyond it is a vestibule which
with Ostia's maritime trade. There are sixty-three offices leads into a courtyard surrounded by porticoes with
in all and the business done within them can be identified vaulted ceilings. Turning directly to the right we move
in most instances by signs in mosaics let into the pavement to the end of the side nearest the entrance. We are now
of the outer part of the portico, in front of the columns standing slightly to the left of the column in the foreleading into the officesproper. An example of these signs ground of Figure 6.
is given in Figure 5. The Latin inscription reads NAVTFrom here we can look diagonally across the courtyard.
CVLARI MISVENSES HIC, or "The Shippers of Its center is paved with mosaics, which are surrounded by
Misua (have their office) here." Below it are two a wide strip of pounded travertine. Directly opposite we
freighters (company ships) and below them two fishes see a hole at the foot of the corner pilaster, through which
facing a stylized measure of grain (the chief commodity the rain water from the upper story was discharged.
transported by the company).
There is enough of this story left to give us a reasonable
With regard to the guilds, the calkers and ropemakers, idea of its construction. It too was in the form of a porone group of river men, and the tanners, all had their head- tico or loggia, with pillars placed directly over those on
quarters in this square. Inscriptions from other parts of the first floor. Glancing now to the right along the porthe city inform us of the existence of guilds of grain meas- tico before us, we see the entrances of rooms to the right.
urers, ship's carpenters, and ordinary carpenters. The These were the storerooms in wThichgeneral merchandise
wine and oil merchants also had their associations and so was kept. Grooves in the sides of the entrances show how
did the bakers. The picture as a whole is one of fairly any one of them could be closed separately.
If we now proceed to the end of this portico, we shall
high specialization of labor.
Much of the actual work done by the members of these find ourselves at the foot of the stairs which led to the
guilds must have been done in the Port rather than in upper story. Beyond the stairs to the left, but hidden in
Ostia. I know of no detailed study, unfortunately, which our picture, is the room at the back of the building which
attempts to determine what part of Ostia's inhabitants faces the entrance. It is larger than the others and correcrossed over to the port on ferry and foot to earn their sponds to the tablinum in an atrium-type house. For the
daily bread. I would assume, however, that a great num- archaeologist it contains a welcome surprise : the remains
ber did so. For centuries the Italian workman and farmer of part of the fourth-century walls of the original city.

Archaeology Magazine - March 1948

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Archaeology Magazine - March 1948