Roman Ostia: space syntax and the domestication of space

Ostia, Rome’s harbour city, offers one of the few archaeological sites where the full complexity of Roman urban life can be investigated. Despite wide-ranging scholarly interest in Ostia’s built environment, the city’s spatial organisation has not previously received much attention. This study focuses on one of Ostia’s city-blocks, Insula IV ii, analysing the insula’s spatial configuration, its inner communication via the courtyards, as well as the insula’s integration and interaction with the exterior, the city’s street network. By applying Space Syntax’s analytical tools (UCL Depthmap software for spatial analysis) this paper highlights some of the spatial and visual patterns possibly experienced by its inhabitants and visitors.