The Square of the Corporations

West porticus - statio 40

Not much has been preserved of the floor. In the right part of the front room the letters XANDRIN can be seen, obviously a reference to Alexandria. The solution naviculariorum Alexandrin(orum) has been suggested, "office of the skippers of Alexandria". It is strange however that the skippers would have two stationes, this one and the cluster 26-28. It seems better to think of curatores of the Alexandrian ships. Two inscriptions from the harbours mention the Alexandrian grain fleet, both from Portus and in Greek. One is a statue base in honour of Commodus, set up by the navicularii of the Alexandrian merchant fleet. It is the earliest specific evidence that the Alexandrian fleet had been redirected from Puteoli to Ostia-Portus. The other is dated to 201 AD. It is a dedication with a prayer for the preservation and safe return of Septimius Severus and Caracalla, coupled with a prayer for the safe voyage of the whole Alexandrian fleet. It was set up by Caius Valerius Serenus, curator (epimelètès) of the fleet. We may then read:

[CVRATORES NAVIVM ALE]XANDRIN(arum)

Photo: Gerard Huissen.

Curators were appointed by the Praefectus Annonae and worked for the Imperial government. It has been suggested that they assigned ships to cargoes. They probably also acted as inspectors and checked the proper functioning of the guilds. They were assigned to each guild of skippers, but we also hear of curators of ships: of the Carthaginian ships, of the Alexandrian fleet, and of the "sea-going ships" (naves marinae). Perhaps the curators of ships talked to skippers and merchants and ship owners.

Detail of the text. Photo: Eric Taylor.