Severan building activity

As we have seen, the construction of several new buildings started by and under Commodus was finished during the reign of Septimius Severus. But during his reign there was no substantial, new building activity. The list of dated buildings in Scavi di Ostia volume I lists only some restorations. Much more work has been assigned to the later Severan period: the reigns of Caracalla (211-217 AD), Elagabalus (218-222 AD) and Alexander Severus (222-235 AD). But again most of it also amounts to restorations and modifications. And there is a caveat here. The masonry specialist Thea Heres tends to use the intervals 200-235 AD and 230-240 AD. In other words, in the absence of dated brick stamps we must be cautious when speaking of early-Severan or late-Severan.

It is not surprising that the work under Septimius Severus included two fountains flanking the facade of the theatre. And in 215 or 216 AD an honorary arch was erected for Caracalla in between, probably by the city council and people of Ostia.

Reconstruction of the theatre, seen from the south-east. The facade is flanked by fountains rebuilt under Septimius Severus.
In between, an honorary arch of Caracalla was set against the facade in 215 or 216 AD. Image: Parco Archeologico di Ostia.

Speaking of "restorations and modifications" may be deceptive. At the end of the second century Ostia was entirely made up of fairly new and solid buildings. The emergence of complete new buildings is simply not to be expected. Restorations testify to vitality, and adjustments may, upon closer inspection, be the result of important changes in function. An example is the addition of a small temple in the Baths of the Philosopher around 200 AD. The history of this building is enigmatic. The first main phase has been dated to the early second century. Only the west half of the plot was now used, with shops and perhaps a workshop behind a small porticus. There is an entrance with a low threshold and recesses in the side walls, meant to receive the leaves of the doors. This suggests that carriages could enter the building here, to be parked in the open east half of the plot. Around 200 AD the temple was set against the east wall, but demolished surprisingly soon, shortly after the Severan period. A porticus with an elaborate wall-niche was now added in the open area. Finally, in the second half of the third century, baths were installed.

The Baths of the Philosopher seen from the west. The location of the demolished Severan temple is behind the tree top-centre.
Click on the image to enlarge. Photo: Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica.

A late-Severan intervention is documented in the guild seat of the grain measurers (mensores frumentarii). It was built in the Trajanic period. In the centre is the guild temple. Rooms to the right and a hall to the left, the Hall of the Grain Measurers, were modified in the years 210-235 AD. The ceiling of the hall was reinforced. At the same time a mosaic of a group of grain measurers was made. Unfortunately the function of the hall is not clear.

Plan of the Hall and Temple of the Grain Measurers. In the centre is the guild temple. To the left is the hall with the mosaic.
Image: Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica.

Severan work is also documented in the Great Warehouse, where grain was stored. The rooms at the north end were rebuilt. In the same period a physical connection was created with a bakery to the west, the House of the Millstones. On the road in between are bricks piers, the remains of five arches that supported a floor over which grain could be carried.

The road between the Great Warehouse, to the left, and the House of the Millstones, to the right.
Note the brick piers on either side of the road. Seen from the north. Photo: Klaus Heese.

The bakery was installed in the Severan period in a Hadrianic building. Several sub-phases have been recognized, the oldest dated to the reign of Septimius Severus. What strikes the eye here is the scale of the adjustments: spacious halls were created, spanned by enormous arches, and ceilings were raised. The operation is a copy of earlier work, from the Antonine period, in the House of the Ovens. This was another bakery, where bread was made for the fire-fighters in the barracks across the street.

The Great Warehouse and the House of the Millstones (top right) seen from the north-east.
Photo: Bing Maps.

The evidence from Ostia does not support the allegations, made by ancient historians, of grain hoarding at the end of Commodus' reign. Where could this grain have been "hidden" anyway? The shortage of grain and the famine of 189-190 AD may have been due to the recurrence of the Antonine plague, which had struck Egypt with particular force. In any case, it could occur because of insufficient stock, perhaps for the current year only, so that setbacks would immediately lead to problems. The countermeasures of Commodus, Septimius Severus and Caracalla were intended to secure the transport of grain to Rome (by securing the repairing and building of ships, through the ship carpenters' guilds) and to increase the storage capacity (by building more warehouses, through the guild of the builders). Therefore the Historia Augusta, probably exaggerating somewhat, could say of Septimius Severus:

Rei frumentariae, quam minimam reppererat, ita consuluit, ut excedens vita septem annorum canonem populo Romano relinqueret.	Finding the grain-supply at a very low ebb, he managed it so well that on departing this life he left the Roman people a surplus to the amount of seven years' tribute.
Historia Augusta, Septimius Severus 8,5. Translation David Magie.

The volume of olive oil imports, especially from the south of Spain, must also have increased due to the generosity of Septimius Severus. The Historia Augusta again:

Populo Romano diurnum oleum gratuitum et fecundissimum in aeternum donavit.	He bestowed upon the Roman people, without cost, a most generous daily allowance of oil in perpetuity.
Historia Augusta, Septimius Severus 18,3. Translation David Magie.

The oil was stored in buildings with open spaces, in the floor of which were huge sunken jars, dolia defossa. One of these buildings, called Warehouse of the Annona by the excavators, was located opposite the theatre. More than 100 jars were found here.