List of buildings in Regio IV of the ancient Roman city of Ostia . The names are given in Italian; many buildings do not have their own name and are only referred to in literature as Caseggiato or Edificio ( residential house, building ). The most important information here is the modern number code (region, insula, house number).
Insula I is the temple precinct of Cybele , also known as Magna Mater - Great Mother . The complex dates from the Hadrianic period and consists of a large courtyard with various temples.
Surname
number
description
Tempio della Magna Mater
IV, I, 1
The temple of the Magna Mater is located in the far west of the temple precinct. There is a large altar in front of the temple and there were once two statues here. The temple stood on a dais. There is a staircase at the front. The front of the actual temple was adorned by four pillars.
Sanctuary of Attis . It is the site of numerous statues.
Tempio di Bellona
IV, I, 4
Small temple of Bellona which dates back to Hadrianic times . It can be found in the east of the temple area of the Magna Mater . There is a small courtyard in front of the temple. The temple precinct was accessible from the street. The actual temple has two brick pillars at the front and is relatively small (7.00 × 5.75). The floor is decorated with a simple black and white mosaic. Remains of wall paintings and dedicatory inscriptions were found, which attest to the assignment of the building to Bellona.
Schola degli Hastiferi
IV, I, 5
Hadrian building; Entrance with two pillars; Interior furnished with marble. Seat of the lancers who worshiped the Bellona.
Fossa sanguinis
IV, I, 6
Installation for the sacrifice (and slaughter) of bulls.
Sacello
IV, I, 7
a shrine
Sacello
IV, I, 8
a shrine
Botteghe
IV, I, 9
a row of shops on the outer wall of the sanctuary.
Thermal baths from the beginning of the second century; decorated with mosaics and wall paintings.
Portico e Caseggiato dell'Ercole
IV, II, 2-4
Large building complex with numerous shops and an open space in the middle. There is a portico facing the street. Numerous rooms had wall paintings. The complex is named after a relief depicting Hercules.
Caseggiato
IV, II, 5
It is the remains of a small house from the second century. The rooms are on both sides of a corridor. There were various modifications; a stairwell was built in and a room was taken over by the thermal baths next to it. The walls of two rooms were decorated with simple, white-ground murals. Another wall was later installed in room 7, the wall paintings behind it are still well preserved.
Caupona del Pavone
IV, II, 6
The peacock's house was probably built in the Severan period , although parts of it date back to the Hadrian period. The house probably functioned as a hotel. It takes its name from the picture of a peacock in a pseudoedicula in a courtyard at the back of the house. There is a brick tavern in a neighboring room, which was later installed here. It lies on the mosaic of the room and also takes no account of the wall paintings. There were numerous wall paintings in the house; some elaborate ones show red field patterns with figures. Simple wall paintings in other rooms consist of red line decorations on a white background.
Edificio
IV, II, 7
Stores
Edificio
IV, II, 8
Stores
Edificio
IV, II, 9-14
Large house with numerous shops; partially decorated with wall paintings
Mitreo degli Animali
IV, II, 11
Mithraeum , it is part of Edifici IV, II, 9-14; Mosaics and location of a Mithras head
Insula III
Surname
number
description
image
Domus delle Colonne
IV, III, 1
It is a large house from the middle of the third century built around an older courtyard from the late second century. The courtyard is decorated with columns and has a nymphaeum in the middle. There were numerous, partly polychrome mosaics and marble floors. Stairs testify to an upper floor. Some rooms had wall heaters. In the house there was, among other things, a statue of the goddess Diana and a relief with nymphs.
Edificio
IV, III, 2
Small house, probably apartments and shop
Domus dei Pesci
IV, III, 3
It is a large house from the third century, named after a polychrome mosaic with three fish, which is located in the entrance. The fish are often interpreted as Christian symbols, but this is not mandatory. Numerous simple mosaics were found in the house. In the center of the house there is a courtyard with a fountain, in the middle a small pyramid. Another fountain can be found on the side wall of the courtyard. There is also a large, semicircular water basin in the courtyard. The courtyard is decorated with a mosaic. Opposite the entrance, in the courtyard, there is a large room with a mosaic, the entrance of which is adorned by two columns.
Domus su Via della Caupona
IV, III, 4
It is a medium-sized house with rich mosaic furnishings and marble floors. The construction dates from 270 to 275 AD; older parts around 250 AD. The house has a large vestibule (entrance room), which is decorated with a black and white mosaic. There are two niches in the left wall. The walls of the room were once painted. The floors of the side rooms going off here are partly decorated with mosaics. One room has a marble floor ( opus sectile ) and remnants of marble wall cladding.
Domus
IV, III, 5
smaller, not well preserved house
Insula IV
Surname
number
description
Ninfeo degli Eroti
IV, IV, 1
It is a nymphaeum whose walls are lined with marble. It dates to the beginning of the fifth century. The building is square (8 × 8 m) and had an entrance from the Cardo Maximus . In each of the walls there is a niche that was once framed by columns that in turn stood on consoles. In the side niches there were probably erotic statues that were found here. Perhaps there was a statue of Venus in the niche in the back wall. In the middle of the room there is a basin on one foot (the original basin disappeared in World War II).
Domus delle Nicchia a Mosaico
IV, IV, 2
Atrium house with a statue niche in the back, which was once decorated with mosaic. The house was built in Republican times .
Domus di Giove Fulminatore
IV, IV, 3
Small atrium house from Republican times, partially decorated with mosaics. Six construction phases can be distinguished. The oldest belongs to the years around 150 to 50 BC. The function of the building at this time is uncertain. In Augustan times , an atrium house was set up here, which could be entered through a vestibule between two shops. Here is a mosaic with a phallus that probably dates to the second century. In the atrium behind is a marble impluvium . The room is decorated with geometric mosaics. On either side of the atrium there are small rooms ( cubicula ); in one of them a staircase. In the back of the house there are two more rooms and a passage with a statue niche in between. This passage may once have led to a peristyle , but the Terme Bizantine built over it. At the end of the fourth century, the level of the floor was increased by one meter (this change is now removed). In the house there was an altar with a dedication in Greek to Jupiter , which gave the house the modern name: (ΔΙΙ ΚΑΤΑ [I] BATEI) for the descending Zeus .
Forica
IV, IV, 4
They are public latrines from the late fourth century. Three sides of the room have rows of latrines. Older materials such as inscriptions and sarcophagi were used for the construction.
Ninfeo
IV, IV, 5
Nymphaeum
Caseggiato
IV, IV, 6
Residential building with shops on the street front.
Domus su Via del Tempio Rotondo
IV, IV, 7
3rd century house; Floors partially decorated with opus sectile .
Terme Bizantine
IV, IV, 8
Thermal baths from the end of the fourth or beginning of the fifth century. Simple mosaics, marble floors.
Insula con Viridario
IV, IV, 9
Peristyle, with some adjoining rooms. A mosaic shows Aktaion being attacked by dogs.
Insula V
Surname
number
description
Taberne dei Pescivendoli
IV, V, 1
Tavern decorated with mosaics
Macellum
IV, V, 2
The city's meat market. The construction dates from the late second century. The building has a courtyard with a row of columns on one side. In the middle of the courtyard is a walled pool. At the end of the fourth century a glass workshop was established here.
Caseggiato
IV, V, 3
Shops and commercial buildings.
Caseggiato del Sacello
IV, V, 4
Commercial building; one room served as a shrine
Edificio
IV, V, 5
Commercial building
Terms
IV, V, 6
Small thermal baths
Edificio
IV, V, 7
Construction with an alley in the middle
Domus dell'Aquila
IV, V, 8
Small house from the third century that was built into an older, larger house; well-preserved wall paintings from the third and fourth centuries. Two rooms are decorated with figural, black and white mosaic floors.
Caseggiato del Dioniso
IV, V, 9
Building with four rooms, one of them shows a mosaic with an image of Dionysus
Terme delle Sei Colonne
IV, V, 10-11
Thermal baths, built in the second century
Horrea
IV, V, 12
Small, probably private warehouse
Mitreo delle Sette Porte
IV, V, 13
The mithra of the seven gates dates back to the second century and was built into one of the storage rooms in the warehouse next door. It takes its name from the representation of seven gates at the entrance of the well-preserved mosaic floor.
Edificio
IV, V, 14th
only partially excavated building, unknown function
Schola del Traiano
IV, V, 15
Guild seat, built under Antoninus Pius , large courtyard; the exact function of the building is not certain, but the seat of a rich guild seems most likely, as the finding of a Trajan statue, which is not to be expected in a private house, speaks for it. At the site of the Schola del Traiano there were two representative houses, one of which dates from the Augustan era.
Casa a peristilio
IV, V, 16
House overbuilt by the Schola del Traiano in the second century
Edificio
IV, V, 17
So far only a small part has been excavated
Caseggiato delle Taberne finestrate
IV, V, 18
Large building with numerous shops
Insula VI
Surname
number
description
image
Caseggiato a botteghe
IV, VI, 1
Hadrian building, shops on both sides of an alley
Insula VII
Surname
number
description
image
Portico and Caseggiato della Fontana con Lucerna
IV, VII, 1-2
Large portico with shops and taverns
Caseggiato
IV, VII, 3
Only partially excavated; Shops on the street front
Caupona di Alexander e Helix
IV, VII, 4
Severan tavern decorated with mosaic. The mosaic shows two athletes in the center with the inscription Alexander, Helix . They are probably two well-known athletes from the Elagabal reign .
Caseggiato
IV, VII, 5
A series of rooms of unknown function
Insula VIII
Surname
number
description
Foro di Porta Marina
IV, VIII, 1
Building from the Hadrian era, consisting of a large courtyard; at the back there is a hall with an apse, despite the name ( forum ) it is perhaps a religious building.
Cisterna
IV, VIII, 2
cistern
Santuario della Bona Dea
IV, VIII, 3
The sanctuary of Bona Dea dates back to the first century. It has various later conversions. The temple is partly badly preserved because it was torn down in late antiquity. The center of the sanctuary was a small temple with four columns and an altar in front of it. Next to it was a courtyard with a portico, which was torn down in the third century. Commercial premises were set up in their place. There was a well in front of the entrance to the sanctuary.
Ninfeo
IV, VIII, 4
Nymphaeum, which was built at the end of the third century.
Edificio
IV, VIII, 5
Perhaps a number of Hadrian-era stores.
Edificio
IV, VIII, 6
Small house with courtyard from the fourth century.
Insula IX
Surname
number
description
image
Loggia di Cartilio Poplicola
IV, IX, 1
A kind of pillared hall or covered space, function unknown.
Sepolcro di Cartilio Poplicola
IV, IX, 2
Tomb of Cartilius Poplicola , an important Ostian citizen who lived around 20 BC. BC died. The tomb bears an inscription with the career of Cartilius Poplicola.
Edificio
IV, IX, 3
Construction of unknown function; only partially excavated.
Edificio
IV, IX, 4
Residential building with shops.
Insula X
Surname
number
description
image
Terme di Porta Marina
IV, X, 1-2
Great thermal baths, built under Trajan . The ancient name of the facility is well known: Thermae Maritimae ( seaside resort ). Various sculptures were found in the building and it is richly decorated with black and white mosaics. The thermal baths had their own palaestra.
Insula XI - XIV
Surname
number
description
image
unexcavated
Insula XV
Surname
number
description
image
Terme di Musiciolus
IV, XV, 2
Small thermal baths, equipped with black and white, but also with polychrome mosaics. The construction dates back to the Severan period, conversions date back to the fourth century.
↑ Laurent Chrzanovski, Clemens Krause, Angelo Pellegrino: Les nouvelles fouilles de la Schola del Traiano: premiers résultats , in: Jean-Paul Descœudres (ed.): Ostia, port et porte de la Rome antique , Geneva 2002 ISBN 2-8306- 0190-4 , 74-78
↑ L. Bouke van der Meer: Ostia speaks, Inscriptions, buildings and spaces in Rome's main port , Leuven, Paris, Walpole, MA, ISBN 978-90-429-2700-1 , 85-87, No. 31
