Ostia

Ostia, ancient city of Italy, originally at the mouth of the Tiber but now inland as the Tiber delta has grown. It was founded (4th cent. B.C.) as a protection for Rome, then developed (from the 1st cent. B.C.) as a Roman port, rivaling Puteoli. Augustus, Claudius I, Trajan, and Hadrian expanded the city and harbor. From the 3d cent. A.D. the city began to decline. The ruins, of great archaeological interest, rival those of Pompeii in showing the layout of an ancient Italian city; significant excavations began only in the early 20th cent.

Ancient Roman town. Originally at the mouth of the Tiber River, it would now be about 4 mi (6 km) upstream. The modern seaside resort of Ostia, Italy, is near the ancient city. It was probably founded in the 4th century BC and developed as a naval station, major port, and centre of the grain trade. It reached the height of its prosperity in the 2nd century AD, when it had a population of about 50,000. It suffered from the decline of the Roman economy in the 3rd century and from barbarian raids in the 5th century. Its Roman ruins were quarried for building materials in the Middle Ages and for sculptors' marble during the Renaissance. Excavations began in the 19th century, and about two-thirds of the Roman town can now be seen.

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The temple of Bellona is a temple or sacellum dedicated to the Italic goddess Bellona (possibly here syncretised with Magna Mater) in Ostia Antica.

It is to be found on the east side of the "Campo di Magna Mater" (Regio IV, Insula THE, n. 4) and is made up of a small building with cella preceded by two columns and three frontal steps. All, including the columns, is made of brick. The inside of the cella includes a low podium at the back, frescoed walls, a white mosaic floor and a marble threshold with the holes for the door pivots.

In the temple a relief of two pairs of feet was found, facing in opposite directions - perhaps a votive offering by a soldier who had departed for war and returned safely.

Inscription

Found on the temple steps was the following inscription, naming Aulus Livius Proculus and the duovir Publius Lucilius Gamala Filius as rebuilding it (duoviral involvement proves it was on public land):

A(ulus) LIVIVS PROCVLVS P(ublius) LVCILIVS		Aulus Livius Proculus [and] Publius Lucilius
GAMALA F(ilius) IIVIR PRAEF(ectus) CAESAR(is)		Gamala Filius, duovir, prefect of Caesar,
LOCVM QVOD AEDES BELLONAE FIERET		the place which was a temple of Bellona
IMPENSA LICTORVM ET SERVORUM PVBLICORVM		at the expense of the lictors and public slaves
QVI IN CORPORE SVNT ADSIGNAVERVNT		who are undersigned in the box below
D(ecreto) D(ecurionum)		by the decree of the decurions
CVR(averunt)		looked after
M(arco) NAEVIO FRVCTO ET ---		By/to Marcus Naevius Fructus and ...

and, on the reverse

NVMINI BELLONAE SACR(um)		holy to the numens of Bellona
DEC(reto) DEC(urionum) PVBLICE LOCO ADSIGNAT(o),		marked as public land by the decree of the public decuriones,
LICTORES VIATOR(es) ET HONORE VSI ET		the lictors, viators and in honour of its use
LIBERTI COLON(iae) ET SERV(i) PVBLICI CORPOR(ati)		both the freedemen of the colony and the corporation of public slaves
OPERE AMPLIATO		the whole work
SVA PECVNIA RESTITVERVNT		restored from their own resources

External links

• Ostia Antica