Why Was Ostia Important To The City Of Rome
Camila Farah
It was a naval base.
At the mouth of the river tiber ostia was rome s seaport but due to silting the site now lies 3 kilometres 2 miles from the sea. Serving rome as the chief naval and commercial port in italy ostia represented both a microcosm of roman urban life as well as a community of rich diversity. Ostia antica is a large archaeological site close to the modern town of ostia that is the location of the harbour city of ancient rome 15 miles 25 kilometres southwest of rome ostia plur. Ostia is as important to rome today as it was before.
In 67 ce ostia played an important role in the effort to control the cilician pirates who actually attacked the port and destroyed most of the roman fleet meant for their suppression. Ostia was built up in the 4th century bce and housed a small naval encampment. It was ostia that opened the doors to rome towards prosperity and wide economic gains. The city of rome was situated 15 miles inland on the tiber river.
This base became important a century later in the roman wars against carthage and afterwards continued to house the. Small boats could sail up the tiber to rome. It served as rome s port for imports and exports and also has a protection against pirate raids into rome itself ostia was important to rome because it was rome s seaport. Ostia was essential for the supplying of rome and therefore for the emperor.
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Ostia was important to rome because it was rome s seaport. The early years and development of ostia. Imperial slaves and freedmen worked in the harbour. When rome developed a navy ostia became a naval station and during the punic wars 264 201 bce it served as the main fleet base on the west coast of italy.
Of ostium is a derivation of os the latin word for mouth. Eventually ostia would became the main harbour of rome but this took some time. It was the major port especially significant in grain trade for republican rome until its harbour partly obstructed by a sandbar became inadequate for large vessels. Today the ancient ruins demonstrate that ostia was one of the most diverse cities of the roman world.
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