The Square of the Corporations

The temple and the statues

In the centre of the square a temple was erected during the reign of Domitianus. Several identifications have been proposed. Traditionally the temple has been assigned to Ceres, a deity related to grain. This identification is perhaps supported by the phrase ad Annonam, "near Annona", on the Altar of the Origins of Rome that was found in the Shrine of the Altar of the Twins at the south end of the west porticus. Annona herself, personification of the food supply, also seems a good candidate. Not much was found in the soil between the temple and the porticos, so presumably there was a garden here.

The temple before restoration, looking at the remains of the staircase.
Photo: ICCD C005146.

The area to the west of the square has not been excavated, but we know that baths were situated here. On the north side was originally a monumental entrance of eleven openings created by tufa piers. At an unknown point in time it was largely blocked by a (partially excavated) maze of rooms. Behind the east portico were wide rooms, connected with the stationes by a few doors. They may for example have been used for the storage of furniture. To the south of these rooms (behind stationes 1-3) were a heated room and a bar. To the south of the square was a corridor, created by the back wall of the stage building of the theatre and a row of marble columns. On one of these columns is an inscription recording a dedication by two men called Optatianus and Pudens. They were soldiers called frumentarii, Imperial messengers. They fulfilled a vow to the Genius of their barracks, who is depicted in relief above the inscription. The same two men are documented in two other inscriptions from the square. The frumentarii could be in charge of special Imperial projects, and it seems likely that they were responsible for the practical aspects of the reorganization of the square in the 190's. As messengers they were ideally suited to make contact with skippers and traders around the Mediterranean sea.

View of some of the rooms behind the east porticus.
Photo: Gerard Huissen.

The numerous inscribed statue bases that were eventually reused in the theatre probably originally stood against the back wall of the stage building. With the statues important citizens and officials were honoured. Four statues were erected by friends or family. The other statues were all erected by local guilds, with one exception: the "ship owners of all African and of the Sardinian ships" honoured a grain merchant who was also patron of the guild of the curators of the seagoing ships. The predominance of local guilds is not really surprising: skippers and merchants that would come and go did not form a structural part of the local community. Documented are the grain measurers, grain merchants, builders, operators of harbour boats, operators of tow boats, divers, and bakers.

Some of the inscribed bases, displayed on the square after the excavations of 1881.
Photo: Institut national d'histoire de l'art.

The men who were honoured were either Imperial procurators of the food supply or involved with local guilds (apart from holding offices in the local administration). Publius Aufidius Fortis, honoured by the grain merchants, was a member of the city council of Hippo Regius, modern Annaba in Algeria. It is not clear whether that was his home town and he had settled in Ostia, or whether his involvement with the grain supply led to his role in the local administration of the North African port.

MARCO LICINIO PRIVATO DECVRIONATVS ORNAMENTIS HONORATO ET BISELLIARIO IN PRIMIS CONSTITVTO INLATIS REI PVBLICAE SESTERTIS QVINQVAGINTA MILIBVS N(ummum) QVAESTORI ET Q(uin)Q(uennali) CORPORIS PISTORVM      OSTIENS(ium) ET PORT(ensium) MAGISTRO QVINQVENNAL(i) COLLEGI FABRVM TIGNVARIORVM LVSTRI XXVIIII ET DECVRIONI EIVSDEM NVMERI DECVR(iae) XVI DECVRIAL(i) SCRIB(ae) PATRI ET AVO DECVRIONVM LIBRARIO TRIBVLI TRIBVS CLAVDIAE PATRI EQVITVM ROMANORVM PATRVVM ET LIBERORVM CLIENTIVM VNIVERSVS NVMERVS CALIGATORVM COLLEGI FABRVM TIGNVARIOR(um) OSTIENS(ium) MAGISTRO OPTIMO OB AMOREM ET MERITA EIVS L(ocus) D(atus) D(ecurionum) D(ecreto) P(ublice) To Marcus Licinius Privatus, honoured with the insignia of city councilor, and provided with a seat of honour, especially because he gave to the public cause the sum of fifty thousand sesterces, treasurer and president of the guild of the bakers of      Ostia and of Portus, president of the guild of builders during the 29th lustrum and decurion of the 16th decuria of the same unit, member in the decuria of record-clerks, father and grandfather of city councilors, member of the Claudian tribe father of Roman knights of the fathers and free clients. The whole body of booted soldiers of the guild of the builders of Ostia to their best president for his love and merits. Place assigned by decree of the city councilors, publicly.

Marble base for a statue of Marcus Licinius Privatus. Reused in the theatre. Lines 3, 7, 12 and 14 were added in smaller letters after the statue had been set up. On PRIVATO someone had painted with large, red letters TEM(plum?) SOL(is?). Date: 198-203 AD. EDR164848. Photo: Daniel González Acuña.

The earliest date that has been preserved is 130-146 AD, for the inscription belonging to the statue of Publius Aufidius Fortis. The other inscriptions are from the period 151-217 AD, with one exception, an inscription dated March 1, 249 AD. With this statue the grain measurers honoured their patron Publius Flavius Priscus, also patron of Ostia, priest of the Genius of Ostia, and patron of the guild of the bakers. A number of inscriptions predates the reorganization by Commodus and Septimius Severus. This suggests that the square had been used as a commercial meeting place earlier. It may be significant that the porticos had been raised in the Hadrianic period, as discovered by Ingrid Pohl. The raising may be linked to a triangular marble slab with the inscription NAVICVLARI AFRICANI, not later than the reign of Hadrian. It was discovered in the east porticus and is now on display in statio 2. Originally it may have been supported by two slender columns resting on a stone base in the entrance of statio 12. The base is in the exact centre of the east porticus. It seems that the east porticus was set apart for skippers from North Africa.