File:La_place_des_corporations_(Ostia_Antica)_(5900530118).jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Key facts
- Type
- Settlement
- Cultures
- Ancient Rome
- Location
- Ostia , Lazio , Italy
- Abandoned
- 9th century AD
- Area
- 150 hectares (1.5 km )
- Owner
- Public
- Public access
- Yes
- Website
- www .ostiaantica .beniculturali .it
via Wikipedia infobox
~32 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Ostia Antica (lit. 'Ancient Ostia') is the modern name given to the ancient Roman city of Ostia. It became the port city of Rome located at the mouth of the Tiber and is near modern Ostia, 25 km (16 mi) southwest of Rome. Due to silting of the coastline from the river the site now lies 3 km (2 mi) from the sea. The name Ostia (the plural of ostium) derives from Latin os 'mouth'.
The city continued to be prosperous into late antiquity despite harbour deterioration. After its abandonment sand dunes covered the site and aided the city's preservation which is surpassed only by Pompeii and Herculaneum.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Ostia” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.