Food: land animals

Ostia's grain was imported, together with the grain destined for Rome. Much other food could have been produced locally. Ancient authors provide some information. In the first century BC Varro, in his work "On Agriculture", describes the villa of Marcus Seius in Ostiensi, "in the Ostian territory". Seius keeps bees, all kinds of fowl, and sells wild boars. All of the produce is taken to the market (De re rustica III,2,7-14 and III,6,2-5). From the Imperial period we have references to the Laurentine area, the land to the south of Ostia. Martialis mentions "a Laurentian boar of extraordinary weight" (rari Laurentem ponderis aprum; Epigrams 9,48,5), while Horatius notes that "the Laurentian boar is ugly, fat from swamp-grass and reeds" (Laurens [aper] malus est, ulvis et arundine pinguis; Satires 2,4,42). In Apicius' cook-book we encounter the recipe for the "Ostian starters", made of meat:

Ofellas Ostienses. Designas ofellas in cute, ita ut cutis sic remaneat. Teres piper, ligusticum, anethum, cuminum, silphium, bacam lauri unam, suffundis liquamen, fricas, in angularem refundis simul cum ofellis. Ubi requieverint, in condimentis biduo vel triduo ponis, surclas decussatim, et in furnum mittis. Cum coxeris, ofellas, quas designaveras, separabis et teres piper, ligusticum, suffundis liquamen et passum modicum, ut dulce fiat. Cum ferbuerit, ius amulo obligas. ofellas satias et inferes.

Ostian starters. On the skin, mark out pieces of choice meat, ensuring that the skin remains intact. Pound pepper, lovage, anise, cumin, silphium and one laurel berry, moisten with stock and blend. Pour [this mixture] into an angular pan, along with the meat. Allow to marinade for two or three days then bind it with twigs in the shape of an X and place in the oven. When it has cooked, separate out the marked pieces of meat. Pound pepper and lovage, moisten with stock and add a little passum for sweetness. When this boils thicken with starch. Drench the starters [with the sauce] and serve.

Apicius, De Re Coquinaria VII,4,1. Translation Celtnet.org.

In the centre of Ostia the Macellum (IV,V,2), the central meat-market has been excavated. Most of the building is taken up by a courtyard, surrounded by gutters and with a basin in the centre.

The Macellum, the central meat-market.
Photo: Daniel González Acuña.

A butcher can be seen on a funerary relief from Ostia. In the centre is the inscription D(is) M(anibus). Pigs are approaching from the left and right. As Guido Calza has noted, the butcher is "posing in front of a camera". With his left hand he holds a ham, in his right hand is a chopper. To the right more meat is hanging on hooks: a ham, a cutlet, a calf's or pig's head, and lungs can be recognized. To the left are scales

Funerary relief of a butcher (lid of a sarcophagus or slab closing off a loculus). Width 1.30, height 0.22.
Inv. 133. Zimmer 1982, cat. nr. 4. Photo: Zimmer 1982, p. 96.

Detail of the relief of a butcher.
Photo: Pavolini 1986, fig. 42.

A marble relief depicting the sale of various kinds of food was found in a shop of building III,XVII,5, on Via della Foce in the west part of the excavated area. The sales counter consists of three cages. Two hares can be seen in the cage at the far right. The other cages contain poultry that can eat food from a gutter in front of the cages. On top of the cages are two monkeys and a basket. The basket probably contains snails, because one is depicted between the basket and the head of the woman to the left. Next to the woman stands a young person with short hair. The woman gives an object (fruit?) from one of two platters to a male, bearded customer. Above the customer two pieces of poultry (geese?) are hanging on a rack. Further to the left two men are discussing the products. The one to the left is holding an animal (a hare?) with his right hand.

Relief of the sale of food. Width 0.545, height 0.245.
Zimmer 1982, cat. nr. 180. Photo: Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica.