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"This is a place free of fear!"
This Greek text was placed in front of the entrance of
one of the tombs on the ancient Roman burial place. The text forms
part of a mosaic on which we can see two sailing vessels entering
the harbour of Portus.
For the "inhabitants" of this necropolis, the text had
a double meaning.
The vessels were brought into a place outside the reach of the dangerous
sea and, similarly, the deceased had, by taking his last boat trip
over the river Styx, changed his worldly vale of tears into the
eternal peace of the underworld.
For me, as the author of this part of the Ostia website, there is
a third sense.

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