The state herald., 1912-09-20

STA, now that systematic
clearance has succeeded to
the spasmodic deliving Of Pho
Mono and less scientific rum
maging Of yet earlier diggers,
become In certain respects the
/ enthralling OF all the Roman
Is. 1t has often been called the
npeii of Latium," and certainly
IS the only other place in Italy
IRE one can ramble about the streets
town OF the empire with no mod.
architecture to intrude on ones
am. The ruins however. differ
billy from those OF pompeii. because
ancient character and purpose of
ia were different. The latter town
a bustling seaport with a cosmo-
itan industrial population neither
ured enough to indulge private ar
ic tastes nor much disposed TO
IN. The worlds capital. only a
miles distant. was the natural
ne Of Ostlans OF wealth or culture.
II We cannot see at Ostia the
nted rooms and the courtyards set
h statuary. which make Pompeii
attractive. we can see the frame
rk of a more vigorous and momen.
S life. which makes a strong ap-
il TO the imagination OF anyone who
ever considered. however vague
what the Roman empire meant.
Streets Filled PIP.
The extraordinarily untouched state
which the ostia OF the late i'm.
rial age has been preserved to our
ne is due to two agents, sand-drlft
ID malaria. Silt brought down to
p Tiber mouth. dried. pulyerized. and
nd'borne. has gradually Allied up
feets and ruined buildings deserted
men because OF the feyers which
Pre- bred from choked,up harbors
pd channels OF the river. Partly for
|nr of these feyers. partly because
Vita Vecohia was found. ultimately.
be the better port for Rome. no con.
Iierable population has ever return.
to ostia. not even during a tempo
lry revival In the fifteenth century.
!hen the existing papal castle was
pit The town had from the first n
fecarious existence. Its life was
ven to I; by the Tiber. but the II.
|r could not be trusted. Tho river,
lted up It's harbors one after the 9TH.
and silted up itself. The port
'om which navies sailed TO the Pu.
'o wars had become usoleis by tho
me OF Augustus. and ciaudius first
hd TraIan after him. had to dig out
ow basins at enormous expense some
istance away TO the north, and cut
channels, which the river
roeeeded to silt up as OF old. In the
nd II proved impossible Tor not worth
hllol TO keep any port open into
hleh the main current OF the Tibcr
owed; and II Trajan'a fossa. or canal.
rcdgcd out anow by Pope Paul ". In
io early seventeenth century. In atill
avigablc for small craft working up
Rome, II In n channel only. and
ie huge spreading basins. that OF
rnian an well as that OF Clnudiua,
70 dry, Just because the river treat
q these new hafbora na badly
the old. ostia managed 10 main.
I'm la life, ana even 10 develop II.
" some centuries longer, and only
iocumbed In the competition with
Vita VeeohiA ta new creation OF
'raian'al after tho empire has
ocomo Christian. II II had no prop.
basin for ships. II had always the
.ain channel OF the riber flowing past
. walls, and bad passage aa this OF.
rcd 10 shipa. II was probably mora
bo depended on than tho ClaudlAn
Traianic canals Therefore, We
nd that In tho second and third
A. D.. II was atiil
orih while 20 erect great ware.
ouhea and long. narrow sheds for
iipu on tho river bank, and that
guilds, whose bunlineaH lay
IN shipping. existed In oHtia Such
ere tho associations OF boatmen.
and divers. whose official
cords Eayo been found cut on stone.
ii tho Importance Of tho laatnamed
In Itself witness To the difficulties
sHlnht which the port was struggling
or these divers had neither sponEss