Go to Images Part I; Images Part II; Images Part III; Images Part V; Images Part VI; Images Part VII; Images Part VIII; Images Part IX; Images Part X; Images Part XI; Images Part XII
Paved Decumanus (east-west axis), the Via Ostiense leading from Rome into town(from 1st century CE).
Street of the Necropolis, parallel to the Decumanus outside of town, lined with funerary monuments.
Statue base along the Decumanus with inscription: SALVTI CAESARIS AVGVST[I] GLABRIO PATRONVS COLONIAE D[ONUM] D[EDIT] F[AMILI] [A] C[ILII]: Glabrio, patron of the colony, of the Acilius family, gave this give for the health of Caesar Augustus (1st century CE); it sits on remains of early tufa town walls dating from 1st century BCE.
Remains of Porta Romana, gateway over the Decumanus, road leading from Rome into town; view of the gateway
exiting from town.
Marble slab from pediment of Porta Romana with fragmentary inscription about the building of the walls: SENATVS POPVLVSQVE COLONIAE OSTIENSIVM M[VRO]S.... Statue of Victory (end 1 century CE) in Piazzale della Vittoria, an open area off the Decumanus just inside the Porta Romana
Ostia Antica. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: roads; town; castrum; death
Baths of Neptune, off the Decumanus
palaestra; view of bathing rooms to right of palaestra: frigidarium, entered through 2 granite Corinthian columns, with mosaic floor representing nereids, tritons, sea snakes, hippocampi; view of side street leading to baths, with parallel porticos and shops. 2nd-4th century CE.
Ostia Antica. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: architecture; town; market
Cupid & Psyche, portrayed as children, kissing; Roman, inspired by Greek Hellenistic original.
House of Cupid and Psyche, Ostia Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: sculpture; myth
Peasant/slave, marble sculpture group
A countryman walks beside a boy seated on a mule; they cheerfully carry slain ducks and birds, perhaps to market (rear view).
Ostia Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: rural; hunt; daily life
Relief of Priest Sacrificing to Cybele,
terracotta. From Isola Sacra Cemetary, 3rd century CE.
Ostia Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: sculpture; religion; death
Hercules with Hebe or Theseus with Ariadne:
fragment of an original Italic marble votive relief tablet, from Temple of Hercules; partial inscription reads: S . DE . SVA . PECVNIA . FECIT. 1st century BCE.
Ostia Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: sculpture; religion; temple; hero
Votive relief of Hercules:
he stands in the center holding his club in his left hand with his lion skin over his left shoulder, handing a scroll (?) across a chest (?altar?) to a young boy (between them are 2 niches on the wall); on the left a woman shakes hands with someone (between them flies a tiny winged female figure holding a globe?); on the right two groups of men haul in a ship carrying a statue of Hercules, poised for attack. Marble plaque from Temple of Hercules; inscription reads: C[AIUS]. FVLVIUS . ALVIS . HARVSPEXS. D[ONUM] . D[EDIT]. 1st century BCE.
Ostia Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: sculpture; religion; temple; hero
Statue of Julia Domna,
wife of Septimius Severus, mother of Caracalla and Geta, holding fruit in her left hand, in the guise of Ceres. Early 3rd century CE.
Ostia Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: sculpture; religion; empire
Sarcophagus relief:
central rondel of couple holding an instrument, in the middle of three winged boy figures surrounded with images of floral and faunal fertility; in the center below the couple is a recumbent female (goddess Italia?) with cornucopia and twins. 2nd-3rd century CE.
Ostia Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: sculpture; death; family
Sarcophagus reliefs from the Iliad with scenes from the death of Hector.
The side of the lid contains two scenes, separated by an empty inscription box:
Achilles dragging Hector's body;
Hector's body being cleansed for handing over to his father. The lower relief is a frieze of various scenes; reading from left to right:
Achilles returns to battle;
Achilles mourns Patroklos; Achilles seated on the bed beside his dead friend contemplates his corpse while the women grieve. Pianabella sarcophagus (?), 160 CE.
Ostia Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: sculpture; death; hero; epic
Marble tombstone
in the shape of an arched niche contains a couple in the marriage pose (clasped right hands), in relief between two putti holding garlands; the bearded husband holds a scroll, his wife holds a pomegranate(?); their boy child clings to his mother's leg. 2nd-3rd century CE.
Ostia Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: sculpture; death; family; clothing
Architectonic frieze:
fragment shows sacred geese in front of the Temple of Juno Moneta, warning of the approach of the Gauls. Found near the basilica of the forum.
Ostia Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: sculpture; religion; history
Fragmentary marble relief of Silenus sacrificng:
he holds a staff in his left hand as he pours liquid from a vase onto a flaming altar; on it sits a bust and some fruit. From a Greek sculptor, 1st century BCE.
Ostia Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: sculpture; religion; sacrifice; Dionysus
Thermopolion Diana, lower floor of a brick insula (Hadrianic, 117-138), on the Via Diana, near the forum.
A large, well-appointed "fast food" shop offering three entrances with side benches and external mosaic sidewalk, frescoed shop signs, a
hot food and drink counter with intact stone basins, internal mosaic flooring, interior marble wall shelves with a fresco above the bank of shelves, arched ceilings, embedded storage jar, an outside courtyard with
fountain,
stairs to cellar, outside tables and seating in the rear. 3rd century CE shop addition.
Ostia Antica. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: architecture; town; daily life; food.
Theater at Ostia: view from cavea
looking toward the scaena and the Temple of Ceres in the Forum of the Corporations;
view of the cavea (through the portico of the Forum of the Corporations) from the Temple of Ceres; central
vomitorium (entrance/exit);
mask capitals on the stage; side view of stage platform; front of
stage platform; cavea
building construction; view from top of the cavea of the Decumanus and portico. An inscription in marble on the wall of one of the side corridors into the theater records the imperial benefactors (Commodus, Septimius Severus, Caracalla) in the history of the theater's renovations. 1st century BCE (under Augustus) to 3rd century CE.
Ostia Antica. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005.
Keywords: architecture; drama; theater
Roman Temple of Ceres in the Forum of Corporations.
1st century BCE
Ostia Antica. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: architecture; religion
Capitolium, largest temple in Ostia,
dedicated to Capitoline triad of Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva. Located on north side of the Forum, the junction of the Cardo and Decumanus. Built by Hadrian, along with its flanking
porticoes of Corinthian columns, of brick with marble facing. High flight of steps led to triple-column width pronaos (porch), with 6 frontal columns; rectangular cella (sanctuary) had 3 niches on each side. View from the south showing remains of paving and of the small round building of the
Lares , consecrated to the imperial cult. North to south view of Forum and east portico. 117-138 CE.
Ostia Antica. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: architecture; religion;empire; market; politics
Temple of Rome and Augustus
(reconstruction of marble architectural fragments on a rebuilt wall with statue of Victory), on south side of the Forum, opposite the Capitolium.
Foundations, statue of the goddess Roma (center rear), which probably stood above the pediment. Built by Tiberius. Early 1st century CE.
Ostia Antica. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: architecture; religion; empire; market; politics
Forum of the Heroic Statue, south of the Decumanus,
in the heart of town, near the Forum Baths. The arcaded square is named after the male statue in the center. Rebuilt in 4th century on 2nd century CE ruins.
Ostia Antica. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: town; market; civic
House of Diana, on the Via di Diana.
A three-story brick insula with shops on the ground floor, apartments above, stairs accessible from the road, and a central internal courtyard. 2nd century CE
Ostia Antica. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: domestic architecture; daily life; street.
Mill of Silvanus, on the Via dei Molini.
Named for the sacellum dedicated to the god of nature and forests. Part of a large bread-making complex, the back rooms contained lava millstones which made flour that was mixed and baked for the bread shop in the front. 2nd century CE
Ostia Antica. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: town; market; food
House of the Triclinia, off the Decumanus.
Headquarters of college of builders. Porticoed courtyard surrounded with three rooms, each containing dining couches; behind the courtyard the large room at the end has a podium (rebuilt 3-4th century CE, perhaps for imperial cult, as it contains marble stone inscription to the emperors). Early 2nd century. CE
Ostia Antica. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: architecture; daily life.
Mosaic of various scenes,
in the interior courtyard of the Insula of Jupiter and Ganymede,
a multi-storey brick apartment building with shops in front, off the Cardo and opposite House of Diana. 2nd century CE.
Ostia Antica. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: domestic architecture; daily life.
Cardo Maximus, the main north-south axis,
with portico and shops,leading from the Tiber to the Forum (back of Capitolium rear center); multi-storey brick apartment house, House of the Corbel Balconies. Brick 3-storey
staircase leads from the street to apartments. Area near the Tiber built under Hadrian (117-138 CE).
Ostia Antica. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: architecture; street; daily life; town.
Piccolo Mercato with enclosed tabernae
and portico, near the Tiber. Mid 1st century CE.
Ostia Antica. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: architecture; town; market
Forum latrine with cutout marble slabs,
drains, trenches, traces of mosaic paving; faces the palestra of the Forum Baths.
Ostia Antica. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: architecture; town; sanitation
Palestra of the Forum Baths
surrounded by a portico with shops, a latrine; view toward the entrance to the Forum Baths.
View toward meeting hall of the collegium (colored marble mosaic on wall).mid 2nd-4th century CE.
Ostia Antica. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: architecture; entertainment; public life
Forum Baths:
view toward the paved frigidarium and the Corinthian columns leading into the calidarium (right). mid 2nd-4th century CE.
Ostia Antica. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: architecture; public life
Map of the Mediterranean in 14 CE: modern marble mosaic
showing Roman empire at death of Augustus.
Rome. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: empire
Map of the Mediterranean in 145 BCE: modern marble mosaic
showing Roman power after the Punic Wars.
Rome. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: republic
Map of the Mediterranean in 8th century BCE: modern marble mosaic
showing the founding of Rome.
Rome. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: monarchy
Curia Julia (replaced Curia Hostilia):
interior view of lateral marble-faced steps on each side, where seats for 300 senators were placed. Speaker's tribunal opposite doorway; headless prophyry statue, possibly of Hadrian. Opus sectile pavement. Walls once faced with marble. Rear doorways led into the columned portico of the Forum of Caesar.
Rome. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: politics
Propylon, sanctuary of Athena,
patron goddess of Pergamon, Hellenistic Greek city-state; reconstruction showing dedicatory inscription by the Attalid king Eumenes: BASILEUS EUMENES ATHENAI NIKEFOROI ( Athena bringer of victory). From Acropolis of Pergamon, near the great Altar. c. 180 BCE
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: architecture, religion, gods
Athena Parthenos (marble copy of Phidias' cult image),
Pergamon's patron goddess, from its library,founded by Eumenes II, and second only to Alexandria; korai on base in bas relief. 2nd century BCE
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: sculpture, religion, gods
Kore painted relief; early classical period.
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: sculpture, women
Apollo marble relief of the god,
nude, crowned, holding Pegasus (?)in his right hand, bow in his left, beside blazing altar, between torch bearers; all three figures stand on bases, apparently statues. From the Roman theater in Miletus. 150-200 CE.
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: sculpture, religion, gods, drama
Kore, stone funerary stele relief.
575 BCE
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: sculpture, death, women
Persephone holding patera;
terracotta statuette made from original stone mold.
From Tarentum, end 5th century BCE
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: sculpture, religion, women
Enthroned Goddess, probably Persephone,
marble, with footstool (side view; 3/4 view).
Found in Tarentum, 480-60 BCE.
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: sculpture, religion, women
Kore holding a flower;
fragment of a painted stone stele relief.
From Attica, 545 BCE
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: sculpture, death, women
Goddess seated on a cushioned chair;
inscription on the right side of the armchair reads ARTE[MIS?].
Found in Miletos, 540-20 BCE
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: sculpture, religion, women
Two women seated on bench.
.
Found in Miletos, 540-20 BCE
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: sculpture, women; dress
Funeral stele relief showing priest and two warriors;
inscription: Sosias Kephisodoros. End 5th century BCE
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: sculpture, religion, death, war
Funeral stele relief of Mynno, seated;
Athens, c. 430 BCE
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: sculpture, death, women
Young Roman male in a toga,
wearing a bulla, standing with a scroll in his left hand
(small). 1st century CE.
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: sculpture, children
Funeral stele relief of Mynno, seated;
Athens, c. 430 BCE
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: sculpture, death, women
Hexagon-shaped Roman mosaic showing two actors
dressed as women, wearing high shoes and masks, performing a scene; in an ivy frame.
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: drama, theater
Gold medallion of Alexander;
obverse: profile head with crown and ram's horns; reverse: Nike driving a quadriga and Greek inscription BASILEUS ALEXANDROU.
Macedonia, 218-46 CE
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: relief sculpture, coinage, Hellenistic politics, war
Gold medallion:
obverse (not shown): profile head of veiled and crowned Olympias, mother of Alexander; reverse: Nereid riding a sea creature with a garlanded bull's head, a serpent's body, and a fish's tail above the waters in which dolphins play.
Macedonia, 218-46 CE
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: relief sculpture, coinage, Hellenistic politics
Gold medallion:
obverse (not shown): crowned male holding spear and shield; reverse: Nike offering shield (with relief of warrior with sword raised and pulling hair of an ?Amazon?) and helmet to a crowned regal male (Alexander? Achilles?) seated beneath Greek inscription BASILEUS ALEXANDROS.
Macedonia, 218-46 CE
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: relief sculpture, coinage, Hellenistic politics, war
Gold medallion:
obverse (not shown): helmeted bust in profile; reverse: Nike, one foot on a helmet, holding a figured shield supported by a winged boy, standing before a tropaeus (trophy) beneath which sit two prisoners; around the scene is the Greek inscription BASILWS ALEXANDROS.
Macedonia, 218-46 CE
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: relief sculpture, coinage, war
Gold medallion of Alexander;
obverse: front view of face, upper breastplate with war scenes in relief, holding spear and shield (visible segment shows symbols of Alexander in relief); reverse not shown.
Macedonia, 218-46 CE
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: relief sculpture, coinage, Hellenistic politics; war
Marble sarcophagus with scenes in relief from the Medea myth:
gifts are given by Medea's children to Creusa at her wedding with Jason; central scene of Creusa beside an armed Jason;
the deaths of Kreon and Kreusa; soldiers stand left, the children play at Medea's feet as she stands with her sword drawn, Medea mounts her chariot drawn by winged snakes.
Found in Rome, 2nd century CE
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: sculpture, death, myth
Praetorian guard with sword and lance,
wearing a cucullus (hooded cape); Trajanic marble stele
found in Pozzuoli, 2nd century CE.
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: sculpture, death, empire, war
Grave relief in marble of a freedman couple, a young woman with a much older man, both in civic dress, depicted in the marriage pose iunctio dextrarum. Below their portraits is inscribed: P[UBLIUS] AIEDIVS P[UBLI] L[IBERTUS] AMPHIO; AEIDIA P[UBLI] L[IBERTA] FAVSTA MELIOR.
found on Via Appia, Rome; about 30 BCE.
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: sculpture, death, family
Boy with a thorn in his foot.
Roman Imperial period marble copy of a Greek statue from 5-3 century BCE.
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: sculpture, child
Girl playing knucklebones:
side view,
front view; Roman copy of Hellenistic statue.
Found 1732 on Caelian Hill, Rome, 2nd century CE.
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: sculpture, children, play
Sarcophagus relief:
wedding of Dionysus and Ariadne; they embrace in a cart drawn by panthers; cupid, silenus, satyr in partial view of procession. Via Appia, Rome, 110-130 CE.
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: sculpture; death; religion; wedding
Sleeping Faun: copy of the Barberini Faun.
Found on Via Pacetti, Rome in 1799.
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: sculpture, myth
Priestess of Demeter: stele.
Smyrna, second half of 2nd century BCE.
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: sculpture, death, women, religion
Stele for a surgeon:
he sits before his family or patients; in the center is a tree with a snake wrapped around it; above is a box containing surgical instruments.
1st century CE.
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: sculpture, death, medicine
Marble Frieze: Fragment 1 depicts goddess Roma and war booty;
Fragment 2 depicts a tropaeum with inscription [?]TA AVG.
Cumae, end 1st century CE.
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: sculpture, war, empire, military
Sarcophagus relief: Marble
The lid contains scenes from a literary life and an inscription for the deceased (small). The lower narrative zone represents Apollo & Athena
(left) standing beside the 9 Muses, the daughters of Zeus. From the Via Appia, Rome, c. 200 CE.
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: sculpture; death; religion; art
Marble Cinerary Urn of Helius Afinianus;
relief shows couple around altar and in front of open doors, in iuntio dextrarum. Inscription: D[IS] M[ANIBUS] HELIO AFIN[IANO] PUB[LICO] AUG[URUM] SEXTIA PSYCHE CONIUGI B[ENE] M[ERENTI] [FECIT].
Rome, 2nd century CE.
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: sculpture, death, marriage
Mosaic: comic mask of a crowned slave.
Roman, c. 2nd century CE.
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: drama, theater
Sarcophagus fragment: naked boy holds an animal by the tail and a garland of fruit surrounding tragic masks.
Roman, 130-40 CE.
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: sculpture, death, drama, theater
Coin of Tiberius: Bronze Dupondus issued by province of Gaul;
crowned head of Tiberius in profile (with countermark on face) on obverse with inscription TI[BERIUS] CAESAR AVGVST[US] IMPERATVR; reverse: altar and inscription ROM[A] ET AVG[USTUS].
Mint London, early 1st century CE.
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: relief sculpture, money, imperial politics
Coin of Augustus: Silver, issued by province of Asia;
uncrowned head of Augustus in profile on obverse with inscription naming him as emperor and "Kistophor" (one who carried a ritual chest in mystic processions); reverse: temple identified as ROM[A] ET AVGUST[US].
Mint Pergamon, early 1st century CE.
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: relief sculpture, architecture, empire
Coin of Nero: Bronze Tetradrachmn issued by province of Egypt;
crowned profiled head of Nero with worn insscription on obverse; reverse: Emperor's ship.
Mint Alexandria, 1st century CE.
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: relief sculpture, money, empire
Coin of Hadrian: Bronze Tetradrachmn;
full-length, frontal, crowned Hadrian greeted by female figure (kissing his right hand;?Alexandria) on obverse; reverse: the River god of the Nile holding a cornucopia.
Mint Alexandria, early 2nd century CE.
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: relief sculpture, money, empire
Coin of Hadrian: (obverse)crowned portrait bust
wearing a paludamentum (general's cloak) in silver identified with inscription.
Early 2nd century CE.
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: relief sculpture, money, empire
Coin of Vespasian: silver tetradrachmn issued by Cyprus;
crowned portrait head on obverse identified by inscription AVTOKRATON VESPASIANOS KAISAR; Sanctuary of Aphrodite at Paphos on reverse.
Minted in Salamis, 1st century CE.
Berlin, Pergamon Museum. Credits: Ann Raia, 2005
Keywords: relief sculpture, money, empire, religion
Go to Images Part I; Images Part II; Images Part III; Images Part V; Images Part VI; Images Part VII; Images Part VIII; Images Part IX; Images Part X; Images Part XI; Images Part XII
revised November 2011
