The Best Preserved Ancient Roman City in the World - Ostia Antica

A 4k documentary and historical tour of the most well preserved ancient Roman city in the world filmed on site.
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- Contents -
00:00 Introduction of Roman Ostia
01:10 Necropolis outside city gate
01:50 City gate
02:26 Early history of Ostia
04:41 Baths of Neptune
06:55 Theater of Ostia
12:10 House of the Infant Hercules
12:50 Square of Corporation Temple and Mosaics
21:21 Altar of Romulus and Remus
23:15 Four temple sanctuary
23:57 Temple of Pertinax
27:28 Grand Warehouse of Ostia
28:26 House of the Millstones
28:56 Ostia's synagogues: Europe's oldest synagogues
30:30 Ancient apartment buildings: House of the Paintings and House of the infant Bacchus
31:50 House of Jupiter and Ganymede
32:43 Ancient wine bar
34:50 House of Diana
36:25 Square of the Lares
37:45 Main Forum of Ostia, Temple of Jupiter
41:36 Baths of the Coachmen
Valuable resources used for visuals:
www.colonia-ostiensis.com/inde...
www.ostia-antica.org/dict-top...
Music by Adrian Von Ziegler

[@michaelgabriel7919]

I walked Ostia in May 2022. For anyone interested in ancient Roman sites... this is a must see. I have a list of sites I wanted to see for myself... and Ostia was on the list. I remember watching a documentary years ago, that described the merchant warehouses, the mosaics... and the size of the site. It was a memorable day... highly recommend a visit.

[@bodaciousbiker]

It's amazing that you can still see Trajan's hexagonal port from the air as your plane lands at Fiumicino Airport. What's equally amazing is how far the coastline now is compared to ancient times. As for Ostia Antica, I regret missing it when I visited Rome, so I really enjoyed this fascinating tour of one of ancient Rome's most important, and best-preserved, cities! Your narration with historical context(and pre-restoration photos) was particularly appreciated! What I'll never forget about my visit to the city of Rome is that, with a just little imagination, you can almost recall the noises, sights and smells of the ancient city as its inhabitants would have gone about their daily lives. Being much better preserved, I'm sure this goes doubly for Ostia! I'm hoping that the coin I tossed in the Trevi Fountain all those years ago will pay off someday soon so I can see it for myself! Thanks again for the tour!

[@AugustinianThomist]

Thank you very much for the kind words! Hope you visit Ostia soon!

[@TropicLuv]

I visited here in 2017 and had the most marvelous day! I felt as if I was transported back in history. You can walk nearly anywhere in the entire area. Your imagination can go wild!

[@BSWVI]

Absolutely a must see. Was there in 2010. To be able to get there in a few minutes by train from Rome, and especially to walk the roads and into the buildings was a dream come true. We didn't have time to go to Pompeii or Herculaneum on our trip, but the size, preservation and personal space at Ostia more than made up for it. Highlights were the toilets & baths, the marketplace, streetside bakery, 2-storey apartment building and the secret temple of Mithras. Oh and the theatre. And THE MOSAICS! Terrific video!! Thank you!!

[@BSWVI]

14:15 The marketplace and its mosaics ❤❤❤

[@AugustinianThomist]

I agree, if you are staying in Rome for a few days and have no time for Pompeii or Herculaneum, Ostia really is no different if not better since there's so few people all seasons. The only place in the world other than Rome with preserved apartment buildings!

[@georgeboatright6635]

i had no idea about the synagogue. good tour. thank you.

[@scottgellerman8554]

Nicely done! A very informative walking tour!

[@hugodesrosiers-plaisance3156]

That was a wonderful treat. Thank you for sharing this!

[@AugustinianThomist]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@wizzardofpaws2420]

Haha, I kept thinking my phone was going off and could not for the life of me figure out what was going on. Then I realized it was in the video LOL!! Great video. Thank you so much for the in depth walk around Ostia!

[@richardsmith579]

This was brilliant, many thanks.

[@AugustinianThomist]

Thank you! Much appreciated for watching.

[@pauls5981]

on my bucket list been to rome 5 times but keep forgetting to come here thanks for a fantastic video of ostia antica

[@cyan1616]

It's interesting that modern 'houses of the dead', in the necropolises in modern Rome are almost exactly the same. Except now there are coffins instead of urns, and the shrines are replaced by Christian altars.

[@armorer94]

Go over to "Good Dead Walks". He's currently doing a multi-part series on the modern necropolis of Naples.

[@marcoschukerberga1418]

I am very new to the study of Roman culture, forgive my ignorance in asking this, but are those bricks on all those walls of Roman origin? It surprises me that so many thousands of years ago they already had that technique that we literally use today. by the way amazing video

[@AugustinianThomist]

Many thanks! Yes you are correct, the bricks even have stamps so we know from what time period when were built or when buildings were renovated.

[@JohnVance]

I know where I'm going if I can ever visit...

[@elizabethkoltun7354]

Very good presentation! Loved it !!!

[@AugustinianThomist]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@OscarFrosty]

Thanks - great video! The amount of building and work it took for the slaves to build these cities was unbelievable. It is like a modern city but nicer!

[@lucapolidori8817]

If you have time, in front of the entrance of the site there's a small "borgo" where you can also visit an integer medieval castle. Trekkers can get a walk on the "Collettore Primario" leading to a hidden part of the river Tiberius (Tevere today).

[@tuscanyjc]

Well done thx u

[@frank9493]

Well done mate, when next I travel to Italy I go for sure after several visits to Pompeii I need something new to sink myself into . If I can make a recommendation of Pozzuoli and its nearby Ancient Greek settlement city’s located around the outskirts of Naples .

[@rx7171]

A smaller version of Pompei close to Rome without the crowds.

[@wormhole331]

I wonder if Roman's had jokes about having a grain store on every corner like we do with starbucks.

[@user-uo7fw5bo1o]

I find it curious that there are no known churches here. One would think that after the 64 ad fire the Christians / Chréstians would have fled to this town.

[@AugustinianThomist]

There is a Christian basilica that Constantine donated to them but it was built in the 300's AD. It is quite far from the main city and I did not get to cover it that day. Most Christian churches in Ostia were formally established around the fourth century.

[@user-uo7fw5bo1o]

@@AugustinianThomist Thank you! I was starting to think Christianity never took root there. That would have been an anomaly. But it does sound like Christianity was struggling in persecution and out of persecution until Constantine embraced it.

[@AugustinianThomist]

Yes, Christianity was still largely practiced underground during this early period in major cities like Rome, most famously in the Roman catacombs near St. Sebastian basilica. The attitude was more relaxed and you had more house gatherings the further out in the empire.

[@puertocool]

NYC is the pits!

[@KapiteinKrentebol]

Cricket concert.

[@starcapture3040]

that is not correct the most preserved is Jerash

[@nondescript2892]

I have visited both and although Jerash has the spectacular desert setting and some lovely pillars I still think Ostia Antica gives you a better idea of a roman town..."preserved" is always a subjective word in these cases as no urbanisation from the ancient world has come to us unfiltered by restauration, rebuilding and re- imagining...and usually a great deal of the latter

[@MrSloika]

Very impressive. It's amazing what you can do with slave labor.

[@maxasaurus3008]

Anyone else notice the girl in the red dress… 💥❤️‍🔥

[@paponeable]

The biggest not the best preserved!