Ostia Antica, Lido di Ostia Levante and Lido di Ostia Ponente (these last two suburbs are known as “Ostia Lido”, and in the past were known as “Lido di Roma”).
633 BC. is the date that is recognized as the creation of the city. Tradition wants that the creation of the city was founded by the settlement of Anco Marzio, fourth king of Rome. However, deeper studies indicate that the exact period of time was during IV century B.C.. This is considered more credible after the discovery of the Castrum, a small village with protective walls, dated 330 B.C.. In the 278 BC, the Carthaginian fleet disembarked, sent to help the Roman during the war against Pirro.
The great development of the city, begun after a short time, when they constituted the Questura Ostiense in 226 B.C.
This was the first step, which allowed after few years a radical changing of Ostia, both in the urbanistic and building trade, and in the trading and connection with other civilizations.
The small village, becomes a real Roman city, that develops and is protected by new walls to be ready to new developments.
Roman senate eliminates the taxes from Ostia’s harbour and it recognizes Ostia as part of Rome.
In 217 B.C. the ships took off from Ostia to carry the supply for the Roman army that was located in Iberia and in 212 B.C. arrived also the wheat from Sardinia.
In 211 B.C. thirty ships of Publio Cornelio Scipione left to Africa to conquer Carthago, It was important for the harbour because it received ships full of cereals, oil coming from all the Empire and particularly from Sicily, antique Egypt, Africa and Sardinia The goods were placed in smaller ships that carry the goods along the river to Rome. Usually, they arrived to Horrea di Testaccio. In the republican area, the city was considered as the emporium of Rome, where it was possible to buy everything in storehouses and shops. Huge and elegant houses were built and large streets with columns. Seavers were built under the streets and a necropolis was built outside the walls.
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