A Tale of Two Ports:
Portus I and Portus II
The Torlonia Relief from Portus
Dr. Kristian Lorenzo
Happy Thanksgiving and Be Safe!
A Tale of Two Ports: Today’s Topics
Julius Caesar
Ostia
Claudius
Portus 1
The Lighthouse
Trajan
Portus II
Portus III-IV
And Ships Too!
A Tale of Two Ports: Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar originally planned to build a an enclosed harbor 2 miles north of
Ostia
Ostia
A city located at the mouth of the Tiber and inhabited from the late 4th century BC
until it was abandoned in the 5th century AD.
Ostia
Heavily involved with Rome’s naval history, commerce and communications as
a place to control river access to the city of Rome, its arsenal or Navalia and its
wharves for travelers, traders and military personnel
Ostia
Very important but really only a way-station on the route up the Tiber until
its abandonment in the 5th century AD after which drifting sands from coastal
dunes covers it and the area is sparsely populated due to malaria
Ostia
Due to the sands from coastal dunes covering it and the malaria Ostia is very well
preserved and, therefore, a very important archaeological site.
An apartment block
A public latrine
Ostia
Due to the sands from coastal dunes covering it and the malaria Ostia is very well
preserved and, therefore, a very important archaeological site.
Black and White mosaics
Cut stone, opus sectile, floors
Ostia
While very important cannot compete with the ports of Campania which
were unrivaled until the reign of the Emperor Claudius (AD 41-54) and his
construction of an artificial harbor, Portus 1.
Baiae
A Tale of Two Ports: Claudius
Claudius (AD 41-54) the 4th emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty built
the palace and nymphaeum at Baiae, completed Julius Caesar’s
conquest of Britain and established the artificial harbor, Portus I
A Tale of Two Ports: Portus1
Because the waters of Ostia are difficult and insecure and to provide a
better entry port for Rome’s grain supply, Claudius establishes a port
Portus I, 2 miles north of Ostia with a large basin and limited
infrastructure.
Large basin
Northern
Artificial Mole
Lighthouse
Southern
Artificial Mole
Small Basin
Tiber
A Tale of Two Ports: Portus1
The Emperor Nero subsequently inaugurates Portus I. He has coins minted
depicting Portus I. The south (left) and north mole on a coin of Nero from 64 AD.
A
Tale
of
Two
Ports:
Portus1
The large basin covered 200 hectares and was connected to the Tiber by two
large canals which are not shown on this plan. The canals enabled cargoes
from ships arriving at Portus to be moved upriver to Rome in boats, and
enabled flood control.
Large basin
Northern
Artificial Mole
Small Basin
Tiber
Lighthouse
Southern
Artificial Mole
Aqueduct
Imperial Marble
Yards
A Tale of Two Ports: Portus1
Aerial view of the Claudian basin looking northwards, with the
Claudian basin in the middle background and part of Trajan’s
Portus II in the near background.
A
Tale
of
Two
Ports:
the
Lighthouse
The lighthouse was on top of an isolated mole. Apparently part of the
foundation of the lighthouse consisted of a huge ship, which Caligula used to
carry an obelisk from Egypt to Rome. But there is no evidence beyond 3
ancient authors saying so!
Three Funerary Slabs on which
the lighthouse is depicted.
A Tale of Two Ports: the Lighthouse
Suetonius (Life of Claudius Ch. 20) states that Claudius built his lighthouse in
imitation of the Pharos of Alexandria.
Claudius’s lighthouse in a mosaic from
the House of the Mosaic at Ostia.
The lighthouse or Pharos of Alexandria,
on a coin of the Emperor Domitian (AD 81-96).
A Tale of Two Ports: Trajan
Trajan (AD 98-117) became emperor through adoption by his imperial
predecessor Nerva (AD 96-98). Trajan conquered Dacia (modern
Romania), built Trajan’s Column and built the artificial harbor, Portus II.
A Tale of Two Ports: Portus II
Trajan, ca. AD 110-117, enlarged Portus I by constructing a hexagonal
basin. He surrounded it with major new buildings, including a temple and
precinct, an Imperial Palace and associated administrative buildings, a
possible shipbuilding area and many warehouses.
Canals
A Tale of Two Ports: Portus II
This enlarged port complex was connected both to the Tiber by one
new canal, and to Rome by an extension of a road. Its connection to
Ostia was also enhanced with a new canal heading southwards
across the Sacred Island.
Canals
A Tale of Two Ports: Portus II
Trajan’s hexagonal basin and surrounded structures, including a temple
and precinct, an Imperial Palace and associated administrative buildings,
a possible shipbuilding area and many warehouses.
Portus I,
the Claudian harbor
A Tale of Two Ports: Portus II
Aerial view of Trajan’s hexagonal basin, together with the
remains of its associated warehouses and other buildings.
A Tale of Two Ports: Portus III-IV
Portus III (late 2nd-early 3rd cent. AD)saw renewed construction of
buildings and alterations to existing complexes. Portus IV (late 5th cent.
AD) saw the construction of a fortification wall.
Hypothetical extent of wall circuit
A Tale of Two Ports: and Ships Too!
In 2011, during construction work between Ostia and Fiumicino International
Airport a ship was found at a depth of 14 feet (1st cent. BC-1st cent. AD).
Clay
A Tale of Two Ports: and Ships Too!
Measuring 33 feet (11 meters) in length, the ship is the largest ever
excavated near the ruins of Ostia.
Clay
A Tale of Two Ports: and Ships Too!
The wood and other organic parts of the ship are intact due to being
encased in a layer of clay. An archaeologist using a wet paint brush to
slowly remove the last layers of clay encasing ancient Roman ropes
from the ship.
A Tale of Two Ports: and Ships Too!
An archaeologist using a wet paint brush to slowly removed the last layers
of clay over an ancient Roman ship which sunk in Claudius’s.
A Tale of Two Ports: and Ships Too!
In the 1950s, several Roman ships, now housed in the Museum of
Roman Ships at Ostia, were discovered during the construction of the
Fiumicino Airport.
A Tale of Two Ports: and Ships Too!
Inside the Museum of Roman Ships are the remains of 5 different
ships, all found in the area of Claudius’s Portus I.
A Tale of Two Ports: and Ships Too!
Fiumicino Ship 2: is a tow boat used on the Tiber river to transport grain, oil, etc
up to Rome. This identification is based on the general structure of the hull, with
the curved stern and the elongated stem
Vatican Fresco
A Tale of Two Ports: and Ships Too!
Fiumicino Ship 5: is a unique example of a fishing boat. This identification is
based on the general structure of the hull and the presence of a “well” positioned
in the middle of the boat. This is an aquarium-container used to keep fish fresh
until sold.
A Tale of Two Ports: and Ships Too!
Fiumicino Ship 5’s “well” positioned in the middle of the boat. This is an aquariumcontainer which was used to keep fish fresh until the catch was sold.
Importance:
Portus I was originally used primarily as an anchorage to
supplement the commercial capacity of nearby Ostia
Portus II allowed closer control of the supply of food and other
material to Rome as well as providing infrastructure for the repair
of military or commercial ships
Overall
gave Rome a nearby protected entry port for both necessary and
luxury goods
lessened the importance of ports in Campania
caused a great influx of money, material and population into Ostia
and the area north of Ostia
A Tale of Two Ports: Portus II
Trajan’s hexagonal basin and surrounding
structures
Portus I,
the Claudian
harbor
A Tale of Two Ports: the Lighthouse
A relief depicting the lighthouse on a block of Tufa.