Ostia

Ostia is the X Municipio of the commune of Rome in central Italy. The Roman archeological site is known as Ostia Antica.
It was the Maritime and Naval Port for Ancient Rome, and was known by the same name and located in Italia. The Republican Navy was based here. Cargo Ships transferred their goods here onto barges which then travelled up the Tiber to the docks of Rome.

Ostia Archeology Museum
- Viale dei Romagnoli, 717, Ostia.
- The Museum holds a large collection of Roman Portraits, Sculptures, Statues, Sarcophagi and Reliefs excavated from Ostia.

Via Ostiensis
- Ostia-Rome (19 miles or 30km) along the eastern bank of the Tiber.

Because Rome was a net Importer from the East, it didn’t have the same volume of goods to export, so the vessels needed ballast for their return journeys. A Guild of Stevedores called ‘saburrarii’ existed, purely to fill vessels with ballast for their return journeys to Alexandria.
A Vexillatio of two centuries of the Vigiles Urbani was posted here during the Roman Empire.
A Naval Base existed at Ostia during the Empire for the ships of the Classis Misenensis, to transport Governors and the Roman Emperor.
In 68 BCE, the Pirates sacked Ostia. The Republican Naval Fleet was burnt, the Port buildings set ablaze and two Roman Senators kidnapped. This changed political attitudes towards the acceptance of Piracy.
In 67 BCE The Lex Gabinia was passed by the Roman Senate authorising in 66 BCE, Pompey to sweep the Pirates from the Mediterranean.

In 42 CE, Claudius started construction on Portus, 2.5 miles (4km) to the north of Ostia, which became the new port of Rome and could accommodate the Grain Fleets.
Previously, the North African Grain Fleet and the Alexandrian Grain Fleet from Egypt had used Puteoli in the Bay of Naples.
However, under Claudius (41-54 CE) and Trajan (98-117 CE), the development of Portus next to Ostia meant the Grain Fleets were able to dock and unload in Portus, which was major timesaving.

Ostia, Rome