Ostia Antica, Italy

Sep 27

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2

Paul is writing to Christians who lived in the epicenter of the Roman Empire, encouraging them in their new faith to remain apart from the pagan culture of the time. Paul’s pattern was to evangelize in large cosmopolitan port cities of the Roman Empire. From there, his message could reach people from all the known world (think of Ephesus, Corinth, Alexandria Troas, Antakya…). Ostia Antica, the port of the city of Rome from 2nd c BC to 4th c AD, is the best preserved and most extensively excavated example of a Roman city of New Testament times anywhere. While it is not one of the Roman cities mentioned in the New Testament, it gives a detailed picture of the daily life of urban people in the New Testament era.

Ostia is a fabulous site to visit for so many reasons! The clear picture of New Testament era Rome. The city was never destroyed by a natural disaster and so it is marvelously intact. Excavations have been going on steadily for a century. It is peaceful, quiet and tucked away from most tourism but still easily reachable from Rome (right near Rome’s airport). It has a very different flavor than Pompeii. Pompeii was for the rich, the elite, of the 1st centuries BC and AD whereas Ostia was for working people, people involved in commercial enterprises happening in any port city. Many of the temples in the city of Ostia Antica were repurposed as early Christian churches in the 3rd and 4th c AD. Ostia is full of gorgeious black on white mosaics still intact. Ostia has one of the oldest known synagogues in the world. Well worth the short train or bus or cab ride from central Rome to be immersed in the life of New Testament era people of the Roman Empire.

Ostia Antica. Excavations have been going on for over a century.

The Via Ostiensis (roman road) entering Ostia through the Porta Romana - its western gate.

The other end of the Via Ostiensis is in Rome. This is the Porta San Paulo which used to be called the Porta Ostiensis. This was a gate in the Aurelian walls and the road led to Ostia.

the entrance to the baths of Neptune

Looking down on the mosaic floors of the rooms of the bath complex

A palestra in the center of the baths

remains of an early byzantine era church near the theater

Christian sarcophagus with early use of the Good Shepherd motif

Theater at Ostia

Mithraeum - place of worship of the god Mithras

The square of the Guilds outside the theater. Meeting places with mosaic floor tiles that identify the purpose of the guild.

Thermopoleum - building used as a wine bar and restaurant.

Bakery - ovens and grain mills

Overhead view of a bath complex at Ostia

The Capitoleum- temple to Juno Jupiter and Minerva. Excavations under the temple have shown that this placed has been used as a temple since the 7th century BC

Basilica Christiana. This is small part of the complex, likely a domestic building with space for Christian worship and training. There is a hall with an apse.