Statue of Augustus

The statue of Augustus, arm raised toward the sea, is the perfect starting point to talk about Naples in ancient times. We’ve seen how the city passed through many rulers, but what about before all that? Archaeological digs in Capri and Sorrento have uncovered finds from the Bronze and Iron Ages, showing that the area was inhabited long before the Greeks arrived. At Toledo metro station, you can see fragments of Neolithic mosaics dating back around 4,000 years. The Greeks arrived in the 11th century BC and founded the city of Parthenope, named after a siren of the Tyrrhenian Sea. According to legend, she fell in love with Odysseus, but he ordered his crew to block their ears with wax and had himself tied to his ship’s mast to resist her song. Humiliated, Parthenope threw herself into the sea and washed ashore near Naples. Later, the city became Paleopolis, or “old city,” when Neapolis—the “new city”—was founded where Naples’ historic center stands today. An ally of Rome from the 4th century BC, it retained much of its Greek culture and remained the region’s largest city and cultural heart. Over time, Neapolis and Paleopolis merged into one: Napoli.