A Tale of Two Ports: Portus I and Portus II

1. A Tale of Two Ports: Portus I and Portus II • Dr. Kristian Lorenzo The Torlonia Relief from Portus

2. Happy Thanksgiving and Be Safe!

3. 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!

4. A Tale of Two Ports: Julius Caesar Julius Caesar originally planned to build a an enclosed harbor 2 miles north of Ostia

5. 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.

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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 Small Basin Northern Artificial Mole Lighthouse Southern Artificial Mole Tiber

13. 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.

14. 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 Small Basin Northern Artificial Mole Lighthouse Southern Artificial Mole Tiber Aqueduct Imperial Marble Yards

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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).

18. 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.

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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.

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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.

27. 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.

28. A Tale of Two Ports: and Ships Too! In the 1950s, several Roman ships, now housed in the Museum of Roman Shipsat Ostia, were discovered during the construction of the Fiumicino Airport.

29. 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.

30. 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

31. 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.

32. A Tale of Two Ports: and Ships Too! Fiumicino Ship 5’s “well” positioned in the middle of the boat. This is an aquarium-container which was used to keep fish fresh until the catch was sold.

33. 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

34. A Tale of Two Ports: Portus II Trajan’s hexagonal basin and surrounding structures  Portus I, the Claudian harbor

35. A Tale of Two Ports: the Lighthouse A relief depicting the lighthouse on a block of Tufa.