Ostia, Pompeii and Leptis Magna

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Contents

Introduction

Ostia is, or was, located on the mouth of the River Tiber to the west of Rome.

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Leptis Magna was located on the Mediterranean in modern day Libya

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Origins

Pompeii – Settled by the Samnites and after it was conquered by Rome in 2nd C BC the spoils went to the Romans and the Samnites were expelled. Leptis Magna – Settled by the Phoenicians and conquered by Rome in 46BC Ostia – Some contradictory evidence of settlements going back to the 5th BC or earlier but becomes known as a port town sometime around in the 3rd C BC

Development of Town

Pompeii – Prosperity came from Agriculture (helped by the fertile lands around Vesuvius), its proximity to the busy port of Naples and settled by somewhat wealthy families moving down from Rome. There are plenty of shops, eateries, theaters (for games and plays), bath-houses, forum and shrines to the Gods. Two story buildings were common place and increasing Greek influence (fashion) on architecture as the town becomes more prosperous. Town covers a square mile or more. Not overly fortified.

Ostia – Prosperity comes from its proximity to Rome and being a port used for the salve trade amongst other commodities. Evidence of craftsmen and guilds. Plenty of eateries, temples and shrines and well-appointed apartments. Somewhat more fortified given propensity for pirates and other marauders to attack the town. From the pictures, architecture looks uniformly Roman style. Town is small – about 50 hectares.

Ostia.jpg

Leptis Magna – Prosperity came from being a major garrison town and export trade, especially wild animals destined for the Coliseum in Rome, etc. Town also had a major benefactor, Emperor Septimus Severus, who being born here, diverted funds for the building of a lavish forum and magnificent docks (300 ship capacity) to rival Rome, Carthage and Alexandria. Consequently, more public and commercial buildings, greater fortifications and perhaps less emphasis as a town for aristocratic families.


Leptis magna.jpg

Decline and later

Pompeii – Sudden and dramatic. Previous earthquake 15 years earlier had caused extensive damage and town had been largely rebuilt and improved upon. Eruption of ash caused heavy layer of ash to destroy roofs and second story floors so few tall standing structures survive. Immense heat also destroyed paintings and mosaics. Town was mostly submerged and evidence that treasure hunting and excavating of materials for reuse for in buildings in other towns took place over the centuries

Ostia- Slow decline. When hand in hand with political and military decline in Rome. Lost prominence as a port but got a second life as a location for wealthy families to build houses way from Rome. Occasional earthquakes and sacking from pirates and then then changing course of the Tiber lead to its demise and was buried under silt. More evidence of treasure hunting and reuse of materials especially its famed marble over the centuries. Importantly, Ostia was never lost in ther same way that Pompeii was.

Leptis Magna – Declined precipitously during the 3rd C when trade from and to the port dried up and by the 4th C many parts of the city were abandoned. Later Vandals entered the city and had many major walls demolished. Town slowly buried under sand meaning that many of the strongly built tall structures survive.

Contrasts between the towns

Ostia had huge storehouses, apartments for sailors, bars, temples and especially the Forum of the Corporations leads us to believe that this was a port quite different from how we might consider Pompeii a port. The housing was geared to sailors and the storehouses to the cargo that was transported into and out of the city. In the center of the Forum was the Temple of Ceres and surrounding it were all the businesses who held commerce with Ostia and Rome. Many mosaics have been preserved on the ground - each mosaic in front of the small buildings (no longer extant), describing exactly what the office/merchant within imported, exported and sold - examples such as the tanners, tow and rope traders, shipowners, corn traders.

In contrast, because of the topography of Pompeii, it has been speculated that there were areas closer to the Sarno River that might have housed sailors and their cargo, it might have even had the same kind of forum. Perhaps accommodation such as the Suburban Baths, and the insula occidentalis that may have accommodated out of towners.

The steep incline of the Marina Gate at Pompeii makes us wonder if the wares that were transported up that hill were to be sold to Pompeiians only, while the rest of the ships made their way to other towns like Nuceria et al. Certainly, Pompeii had control of traffic up and down the Sarno because of it's proximity to the mouth of the Sarno leading to the Bay and was important in it's own time and place. However as for the Marine Gate at Pompeii (Porta Marina), it is likely that transport of goods did not go up and down the hill as it appears it might have. This was more likely to have been a pedestrianised gateway with some traffic but the the steepness of the hill means it would have been very difficult for carts and oxen. A more sensible way of getting goods into the city was to use the road that ran around the front of the walls to the Stabian Gate (Porta Stabia) and then enter the city there (or one of the other gates on the south perimiter). It is thought that the Sarno River was used for transport of goods inland, but would require smaller ships, etc

Ostia was however, the "official" harbour city for Rome at the same time. It's buildings located close to the harbor had several stories making it a densely populated area. The compact nature of the Forum leads us to think that this port city was focused on the business of import/exportation of goods and services to the larger metropolis, Rome, Whereas the city of Pompeii not only dealt with the Sarno imports, but also the surrounding farmland with crops including vineyards, orchards, olive groves and forests.

References

It is referenced in the following articles

 
Pompeii - Religious Life
Roman Colonisation and Romaization
Roman Urbanism
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