| II [205 BC] -
... siquidem gentis eiusdem utraque Claudia fuit, et quae navem cum sacris Matris
deum Idaeae obhaerentem Tiberino vado extraxit, precata propalam, ut ita demum
se sequeretur, si sibi pudicitia constaret. |
There was a Claudia
who, when the ship which was bringing the sacred image of the Idaean Mother-goddess
to Rome grounded on a Tiber mud-bank, publicly prayed that she might be allowed
to refloat it, in proof of her perfect chastity. |
| X [6 BC] - ...
relictis Romae uxore et filio confestim Ostiam descendit, ne verbo quidem cuiquam
prosequentium reddito paucosque admodum in digressu exosculatus. |
... leaving Julia
and Drusus, his son by Vipsania, behind at Rome, hurried down to Ostia, without
saying a word to any of the friends who came to day goodbye, and kissing only
very few of them before he went aboard his ship. |
| XI [6 BC] - Ab
Ostia oram Campaniae legens inbecillitate Augusti nuntiata paulum substitit. |
[After leaving
Ostia], as Tiberius coasted past Campania, news reached him that Augustus was
ill; so he cast anchor for awhile. |
| XII [43 AD] -
... ut cum profectum eum Ostiam perisse ex insidiis nuntiatum esset, magna consternatione
populus et militem quasi proditorem et senatum quasi parricidam diris execrationibus
incessere non ante destiterit, quam unus atque alter et mox plures a magistratibus
in rostra producti salvum et appropinquare confirmarent. |
XII [43 AD] -
... upon his going to Ostia, a report was spread in the city that he had been
waylaid and slain, the people never ceased cursing the soldiers for traitors,
and the senate as parricides, until one or two persons, and presently after several
others, were brought by the magistrates upon the rostra, who assured them that
he was alive, and not far from the city, on his way home. |
| XVII [43 A.D.]
- Huc cum ab Ostia navigaret, vehementi circio bis paene demersus est ... |
XVII [43 AD]
- Accordingly, he set sail from Ostia, but was twice very near being wrecked by
the furious north-wester ... |
| XVIII [41-45
AD] - ... Artiore autem annona ob assiduas sterilitates detentus quondam medio
foro a turba conviciisque et simul fragminibus panis ita infestatus, ... nihil
non excogitavit ad invehendos etiam tempore hiberno commeatus. Nam et negotiatoribus
certa lucra proposuit suscepto in se damno, si cui quid per tempestates accidisset,
et naves mercaturae causa fabricantibus magna commoda constituit pro condicione
cuiusque. |
XVIII [41-45
AD] - During a scarcity of provisions, occasioned by bad crops for several successive
years, he was stopped in the middle of the forum by the mob, who so abused him,
at the same time pelting him with fragments of bread ... He therefore used all
possible means to bring provisions to the city, even in winter. He proposed to
the merchants a sure profit, by indemnifying them against any loss that might
befall them by storms at sea; and granted great privileges to those who built
ships for that traffic. |
| XX [42 AD] -
Opera magna potius necessaria quam multa perfecit, sed vel praecipua: ... portumque
Ostiensem, quanquam sciret ... a Diuo Iulio saepius destinatum ac propter difficultatem
omissum ... Portum Ostiae extruxit circumducto dextra sinistraque brachio et ad
introitum profundo iam solo mole obiecta; quam quo stabilius fundaret, navem ante
demersit, qua magnus obeliscus ex Aegypto fverat aduectus, congestisque pilis
superposuit altissimam turrem in exemplum Alexandrini Phari, ut ad nocturnos ignes
cursum navigia dirigerent. |
XX [42 AD] -
He completed some important public works which, though, not numerous, were very
useful. ... the harbour of Ostia; although he knew that ... had been several times
intended by Julius Caesar, but as often abandoned on account of the difficulty
of its execution ... He formed the harbour at Ostia, by carrying out circular
piers on the right and on the left, with a mole protecting, in deep water, the
entrance of the port. To secure the foundation of this mole, he sunk the vessel
in which the great obelisk had been brought from Egypt; and built upon piles a
very lofty tower, in imitation of the Pharos at Alexandria, on which lights were
burnt to direct mariners in the night. |
| XXIV [42-50 AD]
- ... Collegio quaestorum ... detractaque Ostiensi ... |
XXIV [42-50 AD]
- ... and relieving them [college of quaestors] of their duties in Ostia ... |
| XXV [42-50 AD]
- Puteolis et Ostiae singulas cohortes ad arcendos incendiorum casus collocavit. |
XXV [42-50 AD]
- He quartered a cohort of soldiers at Puteoli, and another at Ostia, to be in
readiness against any accidents from fire. |
| XXXVIII [42-50
AD] - Ostiensibus, quia sibi subeunti Tiberim scaphas obviam non miserint, graviter
correptis eaque cum invidia, ut in ordinem se coactum conscriberet, repente tantum
non satis facientis modo veniam dedit. |
XXXVIII [42-50
AD] - After severely reprimanding the people of Ostia for not sending some boats
to meet him upon his entering the mouth of the Tiber, in terms which might expose
them to the public resentment, he wrote to Rome that he had been treated as a
private person; yet immediately afterwards he pardoned them, and that in a way
which had the appearance of making them satisfaction, or begging pardon for some
injury he had done them. |
| XL [42-50 AD]
- Sed et pro tribunali Ostiensibus quiddam publice orantibus cum excanduisset,
nihil habere se vociferatus est, quare eos demereatur; si quem alium, et se liberum
esse. |
XL [42-50 AD]
- The people of Ostia addressing him in open court with a petition, he flew into
a rage at them, and said, "There is no reason why I should oblige you: if any
one else is free to act as he pleases, surely I am." |
| XVI [54-65 AD]
- Destinarat etiam Ostia tenus moenia promovere atque inde fossa mare veteri urbi
inducere. |
XVI [54-65 AD]
- He also considered a scheme for extending the city wall as far as Ostia, and
cutting a canal which would allow ships to sail straight up to Rome. |
| XXVII [54-65
AD] - Quotiens Ostiam Tiberi deflueret aut Baianum sinum praeternavigaret, dispositae
per litora et ripas diversoriae tabernae parabantur insignes ganea et matronarum
institorio copas imitantium atque hinc inde hortantium ut appelleret. |
XXVII [54-65
AD] - Whenever he floated down the Tiber to Ostia, or cruised past the Gulf of
Baiae, he had a row of temporary brothels erected along the shore, where married
women, pretending to be inn-keepers, solicited him to come ashore. |
| XXXI [54-65 AD]
- Fossam ab Averno Ostiam usque, ut navibus nec tamen mari iretur, longitudinis
per centum sexaginta milia, latitudinis, qua contrariae quinqueremes commearent.
Quorum operum perficiendorum gratia quod ubique esset custodiae in Italiam deportari,
etiam scelere convictos non nisi ad opus damnari praeceperat. |
XXXI [54-65 AD]
- Another project would have connected Lake Avernus with Ostia by a ship canal
160 miles long, and broad enough for two quinqueremes to pass. Prisoners from
every part of the Empire were ordered to be transported to Italy for this task,
even those convicted of capital crimes receiving no other punishment but this. |
| XLVII [54-65
AD] - ... praemissis libertorum fidissimis Ostiam ad classem praeparandam ... |
XLVII [54-65
AD] - ... his most faithful freedmen had gone ahead to equip a fleet at Ostia. |