2. work, commerce, collegia
TRANSCRIPT
Saccarii (dockers)
The Port and TradeBelonging (collegia): Associations for work, worship, leisure and death
Working in Ostia
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People of Ostia - Classes
• Senatorial (family; > 1,000,000 sesterces)• Knights (equites) (> 400,000 sesterces)• [Decuriones (city council)]• Commons – freeborn• Freedmen• Slaves
Forces Driving the Ports’ Economy• Decline in relative population of rural Italy
– Absentee landlords dependent on slave labor• Need to feed expanding urban population
– Dole for poor [free or subsidized grain; Septimius Severus (193-211 CE) added oil]
• Inefficient local agriculture– Local production of mainly luxury products
• Cheap sea transport
The Government and the Grain Trade
• The Annona– Public distribution 15-33% of total– Financed by taxes – Operated through contracts, incentives and open
market• Military contribution – Mediterranean free of
pirates• Fire protection
Personifications of Portus and AnnonaSarcophagus showing wedding found at Via Latina, Rome
Coin of Antoninus Pius
Ships
• Large- 10,000 amphorae or up to 1200 tons– Mainly from Egypt
• Standard-3,000 amphorae-300 tons• Minimum for privileges (Claudius) - 10,000
modii or about 70 tons; later increased to 340 tons [1 modius = 8.73 l]
• Merchant ships – sails - crews could be slaves• Navy – oared - crew were freedmen
Shipping Times
• Ostia Africa– 270 nautical miles/2-3 days
• Alexandria Rome or Puteoli– 2 weeks in good weather, might layover in
marginal season • Season – Late May to early September
Commerce
Imports• Grain • Oil• Wine• Garum –fish sauce• Pottery• Flax and rope• Animals • Leather• Wood, (marble)• Fish
Exports• Money• Marble• Bronze • Wool and wool cloth• Wine• Pottery• Glass• Ballast
Tituli Picti – Markings after amphora productionhttp://www.archaeospain.com/images/Testaccio.pdf
Empty weight
Weight -Contents
Merchants;Inspectors
Internal transport• Wheeled transport
only on main street• Most transport by
slaves or pack-animals
• Ferries across Tiber
Wheel-ruts on the Decumanus. Photograph: Jan Theo Bakker.
Horrea
Yale Open CoursesLecture 16 Roman ArchitectureThe Warehouses of Ostia [00:49:43 - 00:56:19 ]
Corpora - Collegia
• Associations sharing common interests• Legally recognized• Professional, religious, funerary• Formal organization• Patrons – sources of influence?
Urban Cohorts
• Briefly had units at Ostia• Supplemented by vigiles• Areas of control
– Markets – prices, weights and measures– Roads– Runaway slaves
Caserma dei VigiliLatrine"The Romans, although they ascribe their greatest successes to Fortuna, and believe her to be the greatest deity, carry her statue to the privy, thus assigning to her a fit temple.”
Clement of Alexandria, ~200 CE
Piazzale delle Corporazioni
Yale Open CoursesLecture 16 Roman ArchitectureTransacting Business at the Piazzale delle Corporazioni [00:23:20-00:36:57]
Fabri tignuarii - Builders
• Military Organization – 16 cohorts of 22 men headed by a decurio
• Entrance fees – probably small contractors• About 2/3 are freedmen
– Many carry senatorial names or those of prominent citizens
– Some from outside the area– Some adoptees
• Leaders had considerable wealth
Marcus Licinius PrivatusA Guild Member Rises in rank
• Born a slave• Town clerk• President of fabri
tignuarii (~198) and bakers
• Donated 50,000 to city– Honorary councilor
• Son - Councilor• Grandson - knight
Relief with tools in the west facade, seen from the eastInsula IV - Botteghe I,IV,1
Photograph: Simon Bakker