Portus

Portus was a large artificial harbour complex of Ancient Rome located at the mouth of the Tiber on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It was established by Claudius and enlarged by Trajan to supplement the nearby port of Ostia.. At its maximum extent the complex covered an area of about 350 hectares and included many horrea and an imperial palace.

Portus was the main port of ancient Rome for more than 500 years and provided a conduit for everything from glass, ceramics, marble and slaves to wild animals caught in Africa and shipped to Rome for spectacles in the Colosseum. The archaeological remains of Portus are near the modern-day village of Porto within the comune of Fiumicino, Lazio, just southwest of Rome.