The Ruins of Ostia Antica by Lia Pittman

Today we met up for our trip to the ruins of the ancient Roman city Ostia Antica. This was our first journey using the Roman transportation system as a group, but we discovered that the buses and trains here are pretty easy to use. Bonus: a ticket is only 1 Euro and it lasts for one metro ride or as many bus rides you want within 75 minutes!

Alex, Cami, and Reed on the train ride to Ostia!
We arrived at Ostia Antica to find great weather, which was a pleasant change from the cold and rain we've been experiencing! The ruins of the city are absolutely amazing. So far, this has been the most interesting site for me. The entire time we walked through the city, I kept thinking of what it would be like to live there back when it was thriving and alive. Ostia Antica was a major port city located by the Tiber River. Shipping and fishing was a main industry for Ostia along with salt mining. When we first entered the ruins, we walked past tombs and ancient roads. The entrance to the city is beautiful with the giant remains of the ampitheater, which could apparently hold thousands of people!

View of the stadium

There are a few different kinds of buildings in Ostia for homesteds. There were even three story apartment buildings and bars! You can see several stages of different Roman architecture in the buildings. Some of these buildings had beautiful mosaics and decorations included in the tile. A lot of the city has been restored and excavation has been going on for years.

View of the ruined city from atop an apartment building

Picture of the inside of one of the intricately designed houses. You can see the beautiful mosaic and the types of building materials used in the walls.

Today was Richelle's presentation of the Roman bathing system, so we walked through the ruins on our way to the baths. Over 800 baths were in Rome, and they were used as not only a cleansing tool, but to socialize as well. Women took the earlier, colder showers and the men took the later and much warmer afternoon showers. The heating system for the baths was called the Hypocaust Heating System and involved a furnace and underground floor chamber that were heated with fire. They cleared whole forests in order to have enough wood to heat these baths. The marble floor of the bathing house was also heated from below, so shoes had to be worn to protect the feet from burning.

There are 6 main types of rooms one would find in a typical bath: the Apodyterium (changing room), Palaestra (excercise room and gameroom), Frigidarium (cold room), Tepidarium (warm room), Caldarium (hot room), and the optional Laconicum (sweating room).

Emperors and nobles would sometimes bathe in the same bathing houses as the poorer citizens. The baths served as a good way for the Emperor to show that he was still involved in his city, but the baths served as an escape for the poor. People could get out of the cold and dirty city and come into this fantastic bath house. The whole concept is pretty amazing.

Ostia Antica was an amazing adventure, and I can't help but wonder: What will they say of where I lived in 2000 years? Will students of the future be taking a tour of the 'Ruins of Seattle'? We'll never know.

Walking through the streets of Ostia Antica!

Ara Pacis Augustae "Augustus Altar of Peace" -- Stacie Johnson

Today (1/8/09) we met at the Portone to walk to the Augustus Altar of Peace. The weather has been terrible these first couple of days raining on every walk we've been on. Fortunately, we are a rather savvy group and this time knew to come prepared with umbrellas (which we bought from men who appear out of no where--the instant it starts to rain-- with 10s of umbrellas on their arms; very eager to make a sale. Fortunately, they are not exactly skilled when it comes to bartering and their original ask price of 5 Euros is usually bartered down to around 2 Euros, which is fair because they are one time only quality umbrellas) and warm jackets with hoods. 



It was a fairly long walk to the Augustus Alter of Peace, probably 15-20 minutes, but we used the time well- snapping photos of ourselves dancing in the rain with our colorful umbrellas. The streets are absolutely beautiful here with so much intricacy and attention to detail in every building. We finally reached the Museum where the Alter is displayed. We were given quaint and very practical bags to keep our umbrellas in, so as not to ruin the marble flooring. The building hosting the Alter is quite modern and was apparently controversial because the architect who built it was American and selected over an Italian architect. Brian took us on a tour of the museum beginning with the life of Caesar and eventually into an in depth discussion of the Alter. 

Augustus' Alter of Peace is one of the most amazing art pieces I have seen thus far in Rome. It is a huge monument with incredible detailing. I thought the most fascinating part was the use of depth and the attention to detail. We had a long class discussion on the panels on the sides of the Alter. The most important (in my opinion) was the panel on the back of the alter portraying an ample woman with two children, surrounded by sea, animals, and female saints on either side of her. This panel was very different from the panels on the front of the alter representing masculinity, strength, and chivalry. Instead, it was very feminine and matronly representing Mother Earth and all she provides for Rome. It was an extremely interesting piece with much to interpret. After a little more discussion and a class quiz, we were all dismissed to do as we pleased for the rest of the day, which for many I assume meant taking a nap and then dining at one of the many fine Italian restaurants in the Campo de Fiori.

The Roman Forum and Coliseum - Amy Kilian

Today we met at the door of the Rome Center for our walk through the Forum and the Coliseum. Unfortunately it was raining off and on all day, so our picnic on the Palatine had to be canceled. We walked through back streets and the Jewish Ghetto, stopping to marvel at the Theatre of Marcellus, the Capitoline, and other prominent landmarks that lined our path to the Forum. When we arrived at a lookout point by the entrance, Lisa told us about the mythical foundations of the city of Rome: the story of Romulus and Remus. Originally the two brothers were from the city of Alba Longa. After being sent down the river over a monarchical dispute, they alighted on the spot where Rome is now, and were suckled by a she-wolf until a benevolent shepherd took them in. While fighting over which of Rome’s most central hills should be the city, Romulus killed Remus. Romulus’s development of the city afterward, relied upon the downcast of society, as he invited all to start a new life and take asylum in Rome. In this way, Rome has always been a city that everyone can be a part of. I’m sure we are all tacitly asking Rome for her approval in taking us in over the next three months.

After we paid the admission fee and entered the Forum, Marco began to lecture on the history of the place and it’s buildings. The valley between the Palatine and the Capitoline hills, in which the Forum now rests, was once a river. Because of the marshy conditions of the spot, those living on the hills first had to drain the valley in order to connect their cities. They did so by building the Cloaca Maxima, or Great Sewer, which drained into the Tiber. There is a place in the Forum that marks the start of this sewer, which has segments so big that you can drive a horse carriage through them

Marco spoke about the buildings in the Forum that were constructed in the monarchical and republican periods; the Regia, the Basilica Julia, the Temple of Saturn, the Temple of Vesta, and others. The Basilica Julia, a large civic center where courts of all kinds were held, is almost completely gone. In fact, no one really knows what it looked like. This is a product of the all too common practice in the middle ages of taking valuable materials from these buildings and using them for churches or family houses. One thing we can tell from these stones, is that many who were waiting for trials found amusement by carving game boards into the steps and playing to pass the time. Views like this into the personalities and pastimes of Romans are rare and special. Here, Shannon and Nicolette play, perhaps waiting for the rain to stop.



We were all particularly interested in the Temple of Vesta and the Vestal virgins, keepers of the Eternal Flame of Rome. These girls, having been picked for their beauty at the ages of 6-10, watched over a fire in the “hearth” of the temple. Many believed that this flame was the soul of the city itself, and if extinguished, meant certain doom for Rome. Perhaps the most interesting aspects of these priestesses were their outstanding rights and privileges, setting them apart not only from other women but also from most men. They owned property, handled important documents, presided over religious rights, were transported in personal vehicles, had the right of way on the road, and occupied exclusive seats at the games. But, there was a catch. If they ever broke their 30-year vow of chastity, they were buried alive.



Marco then told us the story of St. Lawrence being grilled on the steps of the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina for his Christian ‘insolence,’ and we exited the Forum and assembled at the Coliseum. After a short discussion of its construction and function, we were free to walk among the ruins and contemplate the history of one Rome’s most famous ancient monuments.